Big Milk Jugs
by Blizzaga Saga
Summary: The world's first Cremia/Link/Romani love triangle fic. Drama and gratuitous sex within. DISCONTINUED.
1. Big Milk Jugs

_Blizzaga Saga:_ Why are there so few Link/Cremia fics? For heaven's sake, she's probably the only person in any game to so much as hug him, and I can't be the only person who thought that scene was adorable and then immediately turned it perverted in my thoughts. :P Here's a plotless lemon with them. I don't know if I want to leave this as a oneshot or continue it—there are Romani's reaction and her attempts to woo Link for herself to consider, and this could turn into a hot love triangle—so please review and let me know what you think.

Edit: Changed Link's reaction to the blood based on Shiek927's comment (obvious in hindsight) that he wouldn't know what it meant due to his inexperience.

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><p>"Sister!" little Romani whined, and Cremia wished she would stop complaining since she wasn't so little anymore.<p>

"Do your chores," she answered simply, not taking her eyes off the cow she was milking. Her work dress was tighter today, and the heat that reached them even in the shade of the barn did not make it any better. Her shirt hugged her form snugly due to sweat, and her underwear was riding up.

"But Link is coming today!" The work dress Romani wore suddenly made sense. Her belt showed off her slim waist, and the coarse fabric did a better job accentuating her new curves than her other outfits did. Romani fiddled with her long purple skirt, unable to say anything else. Cremia thought it was cute that her normally bold and outgoing sister was so shy when they spoke of Link, but she had more important things to think about now.

"There's another cow over there that needs your attention."

"You're not listening! He's coming today, I know it!"

Cremia turned away from her work to see her sibling smiling triumphantly, as though simply saying it would make it happen. She looked confident and beautiful, and her hair—a more fiery shade than Cremia's—seemed to glow even in the dim light. "No you don't. Last time we saw him, he just said he'd visit again around this time of year."

Ignoring her, Romani bent over and started beating the dust out of an old pillow. "I have to get his room ready for him."

"The guest room is already clean," she countered, feeling silly for referring to the little space in the barn as a proper room.

"It's not the 'guest room'. It's Link's room. Don't act like you're not excited to see him too!"

"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that he doesn't come by often enough for us to call this his room."

"All the more reason to make it extra clean for him!"

With a sigh the older sibling continued milking the cows, then fed the animals, and then fixed the wagon while Romani stayed inside cleaning. With a grunt of irritation Cremia swung an axe into next week's firewood. She was angry at Romani for refusing to help even though she was sixteen, angry at how lately she didn't even have the strength to swing an axe around, and most of all angry at herself for knowing Link wasn't coming today, for Romani was right: she did look forward to his visits, as he was the only man who was a regular part of her life for reasons other than business. Time held little meaning to her since she was always busy, but when he came she enjoyed seeing how much he'd grown. Though she wasn't as obvious as Romani, she longed for his company.

"Hi, Cremia."

She almost dropped the axe on her foot when she turned. "Link!" she gasped in surprise and disbelief. It had only been a few months since his last visit, but Cremia swore that he had grown even more handsome and muscular. His gentle smile and deep blue eyes communicated kindness and fatigue—a frequent expression for him—and he stood tall and strong, as though he had come to save her from her distressed thoughts.

"How are you?"

"Oh, um, good. We're selling a lot of milk."

"That's…nice," he said awkwardly, and she cursed herself for not being able to talk about anything but business. Before she could try again, Romani flew out the barn door toward them, letting her hair whip around and mess itself up even though she had brushed it with more care than usual that morning.

"Grasshopper, you're here! And you grew again!"

He frowned playfully at the nickname. True to her word, he was the same height as Cremia now, and a full two inches taller than the other sister. Cremia marveled at how neither had to shift their gaze anymore to stare into each other's eyes before Romani snatched him away by the wrist, laughing about how happy she was to see him again. Cremia almost shouted after her that she had been talking to him, but that would have been childish, and above all else, Cremia was not a child.

They played in front of the house for hours after that and she watched, Romani pretending that he never left and Link pretending he wasn't already exhausted from his trip here. They pretended for each other, and for the moment they ignored all else. Beneath his tired and serious expression, Cremia saw a smile breaking through.

She was happy for her sister, but she also couldn't help feeling jealous. Romani was always so full of energy. The teenager surely had the passion to get whatever she wanted out of life, but Cremia lacked that spirit. When their father died, the burden had been greatest on her as the older sibling. It had prematurely ended her childhood so that now, even though she was barely 23, she felt like she was getting old. Despite her constant work at the ranch, she couldn't even maintain her weight. She'd put on a few pounds that collected mostly between her hips and her breasts, so when Link came running by, Romani chasing after him, she quickly crossed her arms under her chest to hide her slightly larger stomach.

He did not look at her as he passed, being too focused on avoiding his pursuer, but her heart still sped up, though she didn't know why she should care what he thought of her appearance. At once she felt uncomfortable. Her heavy bosoms pushed against her undersized bra as they stuck out from her chest and rested on her forearms. She would have to wear bigger clothes until he left.

It didn't surprise her at all when Romani caught him. Link's admirable effort to hide his weariness ultimately had to fail, and the girl had pursued him relentlessly. "Caught you!" she cried in glee after they tumbled onto the grass together. She straddled him with her slender body that Link surely found desirable and supported her weight with her arms so she could lean her face over his. Her long hair teased his cheek. "Where's my present? You promised Romani a present!"

Cremia's clothes suddenly felt tighter.

She allowed him to sit up when it was apparent he was retrieving her gift, and without ceremony he reached into his magic pouch that could hold anything—one of many incredible things about him—and pulled out a bow. "I found it in a dungeon," he said bashfully, "and I know you're almost as crazy about archery as I am, so..."

"Oh wow!" With a cry of delight, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his cheek. The sudden move surprised their spectator, but the number of years it took for this to happen surprised her even more. Yes, Romani would definitely get Link. And where did that leave Cremia? She'd long since gotten over Kafei, but she still failed in every relationship she tried to start.

Link blushed, Romani beamed at him, and Cremia drew their attention to the setting sun. "Let's get up early tomorrow so we can all get our chores done quickly and spend the day together, okay?" Romani agreed, eager to spend the day with her friend, while Link just seemed eager to finally get some rest. "You stay out here with me, though. Since I couldn't get you to do anything this afternoon, you can help with the firewood for a few minutes."

Her face fell until Link spoke. "I'll do it. I know I'm always welcome here, but I prefer to earn my stay."

Romani hugged him. "Thank you, Link. I'll see you tomorrow. I promise to make it up to you!" Then she ran into the house. Cremia bit her lip. She had wanted to punish Romani, not Link, but she smiled warmly at the reminder that Link was still the same helpful and selfless person he was when they first met.

Cremia handed him an axe and lifted hers again but still didn't know what to say to him, so she went with what she always did. "What have you been up to lately? I hope you're not still looking for your friend…I really wish you'd find a place to stay for good so we wouldn't always have to worry about you."

He shook his head defiantly. The tree shuddered as he thrust the blade against it. "No, I've been traveling for so long that staying in one place is actually kind of stressful. I'm not looking for Navi anymore—she left of her own will, and I have faith that she'll come back someday—but I'm still traveling to help lands that are overrun by monsters." With one more swing, the tree fell, and he wiped some sweat from his face with a grin. "I'm glad I can come here to take a break from that once in a while."

Cremia took to cutting the trunk into smaller sections. "I'm glad, because whenever you come here, it's like a break for me and Romani as well. But I think you need more of a break than you're giving yourself; you look like you're going to collapse."

"It can wait until we're done."

Soon the cylinders of wood were split in half down their lengths, and the pair carried them to their designated spot in the barn, conveniently close to the makeshift bed that was always there for him. They dropped their loads carelessly, lacking the energy to bend down, and then stood in place to catch their breaths.

"I swear that even though you've gotten bigger, you're still the same nice person who protected me from bandits five years ago."

He laughed. "I've changed more than you think I have. I'm not quite as naïve or stupid. Did you know that after I did that, I had a crush on you for a long time?" She couldn't keep her expression from falling. He thought having a crush on her was stupid? She must have been even more pathetic than she thought. "I-I mean…" he stuttered upon seeing her reaction.

"It's okay," she assured him insincerely. "I understand. I know I'm not much to look at."

"No, it wasn't stupid that I had a crush on you. You're beautiful: I don't know why you don't seem to think so. It was the reason _why_ that was stupid. You gave me a hug that night. You were the first person who ever did that."

"Really? The very first?" A nod. "I find that hard to believe, but if it's true, you haven't received enough hugs in your life." She ignored the fact that Romani had hugged him not long ago; hearing him call her beautiful cheered her up immensely. She had needed someone to do that for a long time.

He stiffened briefly against her embrace before returning it, pushing against the small of her back to bring her closer. She put her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulders as his powerful arms held her, but unfortunately he took this as a sign that she wanted to stop. "I'm really glad to be here. I think I needed that," he admitted with a hesitation that told her he hadn't been lying about rarely receiving affection.

No more than four feet from his straw mattress, he easily slipped onto it, waiting until he was in bed before taking off his boots and green cap and putting them into his pouch. She knew she had to go back to the house and sleep if she wanted to have any energy in the morning, but it was so rare that she had a peaceful moment, and even rarer that she had one with him. Cremia sat beside him, blew aside a strand of red hair, and relaxed, looking down at him fondly as he closed his eyes.

"I suppose I should scold you for working when you were clearly dead on your feet, but you've always been reliable. You're a big help whenever you're here, and even when you're away I can count on you to take care of yourself. Romani and I love it when you visit. And besides," she joked, "I have some really big milk jugs I need help loading onto the wagon."

Link smiled broadly at her from his pillow and quietly thanked her. She reached to touch his hand but pulled back before the tired boy noticed. His yawn infected her, and soon her arms were above her head and her back arched as she sleepily mumbled, "I'll see you in the morn—"

She stopped when she saw that his captivating eyes did not stare back at her, but at something lower. She blushed. So he _had_ noticed. For some reason, she was more flattered than offended; he obviously found the extra weight that had gone to her chest attractive, and it seemed to be an accidental stare brought on by her position above him and by her stretching. Arching her back must have made quite a show.

"Link," she began softly. He still stared, and she suppressed the urge to giggle, instead whispering as innocently as she could, "Link, my eyes are up here."

Immediately he started, eyes widening as his fatigue was suddenly forgotten, and he stuttered an apology. "Cremia, I—!"

She allowed herself to giggle this time. "It's okay. I don't mind the occasional peek as long as you don't ogle me like the men in Clock Town do." Link was nothing like them. He was probably the only person she'd allow to stare at her.

"I'm so sorry...I'll go to bed now."

Her amused and somewhat excited grin fell. Link had already spent more time with Romani than with her; she didn't want to drive him even further away. "It's all right." He turned away in embarrassment and didn't respond. "It really is. You're a healthy young man. It's perfectly natural." And to be fair, she was staring at the muscles that showed clearly through his shirt. "Link, look at me," Cremia commanded in a tone that always made him and Romani listen, and he guiltily obeyed. As he turned, his undershirt slid up, giving her a perfect view of his abs. Even when he relaxed, his body was flawless. Focusing more on that than she intended to, she made an abrupt decision. "You can feel them if you want." The body she ogled froze and she stuttered, no longer so sure of herself under his gaze. "I-I told you I had some big milk jugs for you. I won't mind…"

Link just stared at her in shock, and she was too embarrassed to even turn away. She had clearly looked too deeply into it when he told her not to doubt her looks, but before she could apologize and run away in shame he slowly lifted his arm. Staring into her eyes the whole time for any hint of doubt or that she wasn't being serious, he grazed her right breast with his fingertips. Cremia's whole being tensed in anticipation. She was too frightened to move, and when he saw that she wasn't reacting to his experimental touch, he sat up. "Cremia," he whispered gently with emotion and meaning she couldn't place, but he said nothing more. Still staring into her eyes like he was afraid of hurting or upsetting her, he tentatively pressed his palm to her breast this time, and when she still didn't react he squeezed slightly.

She gasped quickly and grabbed his arm when he retracted it. "No, you can keep going. I mean, I…" She told herself to be more outgoing, like Romani. It was time to get what she wanted for a change. "I want you to keep going."

Still looking worried, he tore his eyes from her face and focused on what she wanted him to focus on. He was rougher, groping while pushing her breast upward, and soon, with a less cautious and more awed countenance, he applied the same ministrations to the left one with his other hand. Cremia cried out more loudly at the attention from his large hands. Like him, she hadn't received much physical affection, and the simple touches made her feel warm and strange. Again she was drawn to the flesh beneath his shirt, and she reflected upon how unfair it was that he was touching her and she wasn't touching him.

"Link," she uttered breathlessly, though he had done all the moving thus far. "You had a crush on me after I was the first woman to hug you. Would you have a crush on me again if I was the first to…" Again she told herself to just go for it, and his eyes widened as her lips crashed clumsily into his. He maintained the contact for a while before running his tongue across her lip, asking for entrance which she immediately granted.

As their tongues danced she slumped and wrapped her arms around his neck for support, suddenly feeling a loss of control. His hands continued to roam her body, exploring her sides, and for the first time that day wetness that wasn't caused by high temperatures spread to her underwear.

"Wait!" She broke away from him, righting herself and brushing her hair away from her eyes again as she regained composure. He flinched, expecting she had second thoughts, but when she could think clearly enough to replay the recent events in her head, she found her courage again and admitted to herself that she wanted to keep going, with one difference. "My shirt's a little tight," she explained huskily before raising it above her head and tossing it away decisively. His eyes bulged at the sight before him, but she still felt restricted. "And…so is my bra." The large garment which looked skimpy on her hugged her bust too tightly, squeezing it, so when she undid the clasp on her back it popped as though it had been straining to hold the mounds of flesh in. But they were firm and perky enough that they kept her bra from falling to the floor, and she dangled it in front of him before letting it fall to the side.

Link drank her in while she blushed heavily. His face reddened adorably, informing her once more of his inexperience in these matters, and he gazed at her as one might regard a goddess, simultaneously boosting her confidence and making her nervous. But something below his face caught her attention, reminding her how much she wanted to touch him. His tunic hid little, and that included the bulge developing below his belt and pointing directly at her.

"You're beautiful," he breathed before moving in to kiss her again. His touch was far more potent on her bare upper body, setting her rarely-touched skin on fire, and in her frenzy she gripped the bottom of his shirt. He acknowledged the message by removing it, and then she finally ran her hands across his chiseled stomach and chest, glistening with a thin layer of sweat. But she lost control again when he began lavishing attention onto her neck, nibbling at it while his hands ran through her hair, against her back and her sides, and finally grabbing her ass. Cremia cried out as her body reacted by arching into him, almost climbing onto his lap. He started slapping her tits together, letting them jiggle and fall back into his hands before repeating the process, and it became slightly painful in a pleasurable way she didn't fully understand. She could barely return the touches now. She felt so helpless and vulnerable, but there was no other man she would rather feel that way around. She couldn't believe she was doing this with him, and with the last of her courage she grabbed his member through his leggings.

He moaned, growing even bigger in her grasp until her hand couldn't fit all the way around it. It felt hard, and she started undoing his belt. "Cremia, are you sure?" he asked, more surprised than anything else. "I'm…so much younger."

He clearly didn't understand how badly she needed him right now. "I've wanted this for a long time." The age difference didn't bother her in the least. She already acknowledged when she hugged him five years ago that he was an adult. She'd told him to come back to the ranch when he was older, and since then she'd watched eagerly as he matured.

To prove her conviction, she stood and made a show of slipping her skirt off, shaking her wide hips as the process revealed her long legs. Now that only her panties remained, she realized they were soaked and quickly disposed of them, revealing her womanhood to Link. His eyes were glued to it, and he made a strangled sound, doubling over as his erection appeared to push more painfully against its restraints. Then, returning to his level, she grabbed it again, rubbing up and down the shaft. "Cremia," he choked out, begging for release from his arousal. The poor boy looked like he was already going to climax, so she hurriedly undid his belt.

His erection bobbed up and down in front of her face as the waistband passed over it, and she briefly lost her nerve. Yet further proof that he was in every way an adult, it was longer and thicker than she thought it would be, and she wondered if it would fit inside her. Having just as little sexual experience as he did, she stared at it in awe for a moment, memorizing the way it throbbed and strained toward her with a drop of precum already on the tip.

Link looked humiliated, having never bared himself like this to anyone and obviously worried about what she thought, but she eased her way onto his lap, holding his manhood against her stomach while her womanhood ached torturously in expectation. Nonetheless, she did not insert it yet, for she wanted Link to take her. She wanted him to stop being nervous and—

As though sensing her thoughts, he abruptly grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over onto the mattress so he hovered above her. She let out a cry of surprise as she hit it with sudden force, and her breasts bounced several times before separating and spilling over her sides slightly. She smiled brilliantly and spread her legs as he positioned herself at her entrance. Link hesitated only slightly, memorizing the sight of her presenting herself to him, before teasing apart her moist lips with the head of his cock. "Oh…hurry! Put it in!" she cried with impatience that embarrassed her.

"It…won't fit," he grunted, just as flustered.

The attention to her vagina was unbearable, and she grew wetter, but his comment worried her. Maybe, despite his assurance that she wasn't ugly, she still didn't deserve to have what she wanted. But her increased horniness at last allowed him to slip inside, and she whimpered as her hymen broke. At the sight of blood on his member, his eyes widened in horror and he tried to pull out. "No!" she cried, wrapping her legs around him to keep him from escaping.

"I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm sorry, I'll stop—"

"No, don't stop!" she begged, hoping to get used to the presence inside her before the moistening of her eyes scared him off. "That's supposed to happen during a woman's first time."

"Cremia, you've never…" he asked as though he truly couldn't believe it. It only furthered her desire to be his.

"It's okay. Put the rest of it in. I want all of you inside me!"

He pushed against her resistance, stretching her inner walls to an extent she couldn't believe until he finally stopped. Sweat dripped down his face as he scrunched his eyes shut. "You are so…damn…tight." His dick felt enormous to her while it filled her entire hole, and still unused to the pressure, she squeezed it with her insides. "Argh…Cremia, you have to stop or I'll…"

He was trying so hard. It made her adore him even more, and she pulled him down into a kiss until the pain faded into pleasure and she was able to relax her grip on him. Then he slowly began thrusting in and out while they moaned into each other's mouths.

Link rapidly increased his speed until he was fucking her in an uncontrollably frenzy, holding her legs apart as he pounded her. She screamed in ecstasy, but only moments later she felt him pulsing inside her and he pulled out. Turning away, he groaned as he released his load into the hay away from them. When he finished, he didn't immediately turn back to her. "I'm sorry."

She wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her massive mounds into his back as she kissed his cheek lovingly. "That was a huge load, Link," she whispered into his ear, making him shiver. "You were really backed up. We'll have to do this more while you're here to make sure that's not a problem anymore." She didn't think any less of him; she'd heard that all men were quick their first time.

He turned around and planted kisses on her collarbone, moving down to her chest and sucking on her nipples. Pleasantly surprised that the night wasn't over yet, she trembled as his hand worked its way to the inside of her thigh while his mouth worked elsewhere. He was worshipping her body, and she loved it.

Two fingers rubbed her clit, and in response she grabbed his cock, eager to please him again. To her astonishment, it began growing in her hands, and he ceased his current actions to pin her down again. "L-Link?" He stared down at her hungrily before pushing into her again with renewed passion.

Cremia hardly believed it, but the wonderful man completing her was real. He had already proven with his work ethic that he possessed insane stamina, and now it seemed his physical and sexual exhaustion from the day's events didn't matter. "Turn around and get on your knees."

Obeying without question, she pointed her round butt at him, begging with a few shakes for him to ravage her, but it still caught her off guard when he grabbed her ass and put his huge rod inside her. It had no problem going inside this time, and he squeezed her plump ass for a better hold. As he plunged in and out of her, Cremia's eyes misted over in lust and delirium, and she easily submitted to his domination. This position allowed him to go deeper, and occasionally he hit her cervix, driving spikes of pleasure and pain into her brain until she thought he would literally fuck her brains out. Her tits swung forward and backward with their thrusts, nearly hitting her in the face, and every time he pounded her tight pussy his balls slapped her. Somewhere nearby a cow mooed, but they were too absorbed in each other to pay it mind.

"Link!" she screamed, not bothering to control her volume. "Keep going! I'm getting close!" She squeezed him more to heighten the euphoria they both felt. "Liiiiiiiink!" she yelled, her climax rocking her body as hot liquid gushed from her vagina down the length of his pole. Whimpering, she let her arms give from underneath her so that her upper body collapsed while her ass remained in the air, and he slowed his pace, drawing out her orgasm. She knew most men would turn to their own needs after their partner was finished, and her eyes, already shining with tears of joy, shined even more with love for him. When he pulled out, she turned around and smothered his member with her fun bags, pressing them together until he disappeared in her bountiful cleavage. Giggling naughtily in a way she hoped was sexy, she rubbed them up and down his length, and he came quickly. From between her breasts a shot of semen defied gravity and hit her in the face, and more kept coming, decreasing in power until just a little oozed out onto her chest where she couldn't see.

His energy finally depleted, he fell backward onto the mattress, and she moaned, delirious from happiness. She'd never felt so beautiful, like such a woman. His hot, sticky essence covered her face and her tits, and she lifted one massive mammary to her lips and licked it clean. "Mm…"

Her breathing slowed, and she realized Link was desperately fighting to stay awake. His cock fell limp and his eyes were closing. Acting before he could slip away from her, she spoke with affection clear in her voice. "I can barely feel my legs."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's a good thing. I love you, Link." He stiffened at the confession. "I know you came here more for Romani than for me, and I know that you may not feel as strongly for me as I feel for you. Even if you don't end up with me, even if you end up with her, I don't regret this. But I hope you'll give us a chance," she half-ordered, half-pleaded, her shyness threatening to return. "We can do this more. I'll milk your cock for all you're worth until I'm convinced you've gotten the love you deserve."

His eyes closed for good this time, and she realized she still had to return to the house or Romani would get suspicious. And before she did that, she had to clean herself and put her clothes back on. It was lucky Romani spent so much time cleaning this spot; otherwise Cremia would have dirt on her hands and knees. Wiping her face and chest with a rag, she thought about wearing tighter clothes tomorrow.


	2. The Morning After

_Blizzaga__ Saga_: Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter! This one isn't as long as I wanted it to be, but it gets the ball rolling. We'll see more development for Romani and possibly a lemon in the next chapter. I'm trying to rely less on adjectives and adverbs, so let me know what you think. I'm exploring options for a three-way, but I don't know yet if that will happen.

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><p>A horse brush meticulously cleaned of horse hair straightened Romani's red copper curls, soft from her recent bath. As satisfied with her appearance as she could be without a mirror, Romani tuned out the horses and listened for anyone who might have woken and wandered outside. Then she covered her half-nude form with her arms and sprinted to the clothesline behind the stable. Dampness soaked up the warmth from her skin as her work dress from yesterday slipped over her head, but the important thing was that it was clean and still clung to her in the right spots. Grasshopper had changed a lot since his last visit, and she wasn't about to let him come and leave without noticing that she had as well.<p>

The sun did not yet peek over the trees on the horizon, but she could see a patch of flattened grass where a pile of wood had been last night. Romani smiled. Link and Cremia were such hard workers. Today she was going to be the hard worker so they could all spend time together. With great effort she lifted four big milk jugs onto the wagon, a task she and her sister usually did together. After that came the salted meats, and then she started breaking the soil for the next growing period.

Her aching arms and the slow progress with the shovel did not bother her as long as she thought of him. Nonetheless, her haste in moving through the morning's chores messed up her hair, and after the brush failed twice she gave up trying to tame it; she couldn't help that she was always moving and full of energy like the bugs that played on the ranch. Thankful that she at least had a decent outfit, she twirled around once and gave her skirt a little flourish while winking at an imaginary audience, hoping to use the same move later when she had a real one.

With the other tasks done, she resolved to sneak into the barn and collect eggs from the cuccos without waking Link. Stepping into the house between the stable and the barn, she grabbed the basket by the door and was about to leave when—

"Oh…Link…"

Romani froze at the low, sensuous moan. It came from the bathroom, and she realized with no small amount of shock that it was her sister.

"Yes…harder!"

The moaning was quiet—Cremia clearly wanted to be discreet—and her heartbeat grew louder until she barely heard what Cremia was saying. Needing to know, she edged closer to peek through the gap between the door and its shoddy frame.

Link was nowhere to be found, and she let out a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. But Cremia was acting strangely. "Link…" she moaned again from the tub. Her wet hair spilled out the back of the basin as her back arched. Water rolled across her pale skin, hiding most of it as she squirmed in reaction to some incredible event, but her breasts floated on the surface, making them appear even bigger than usual as they bobbed with her movements and made small waves. Her eyes closed as she squeezed and lifted one of them, breathing in short whispers. Romani couldn't tell where her other hand was due to the water, but from the panting and the way her arm crossed over her body…

"Fuck me! I'm yours!"

Stunned, she dropped the basket and walked away, trying to control her shaky breathing and ignore the increasingly amorous whimpers. Once outside she broke into a sprint, stopping only when she came to the other side of the house. The red-faced teen pressed her back against the wall, breathing more heavily than the short trip warranted with eyes wide at the vision of her sister masturbating.

She didn't even know Cremia did that. In her panic she wondered if Link really had been in the bathroom, if she was simply too rattled to notice him. Would he have wanted to be there? Would he enjoy hearing someone moan his name, begging for his touch? Placing her hands under her breasts, she pushed them up as far as they would go like Cremia had done, but the girl, thin and toned from ranch work, barely had anything to lift. As her lungs refused to slow down, her thoughts ran in frightening directions. People in Clock Town always called her cute, never hot. Cute was a word boys used for friends and little sisters. Was that how Link saw her? Did he think Cremia was hot?

At length she told herself she was getting worked up over nothing. Link hadn't chosen to be with her sister. Cremia was just…relieving herself, and that was okay. She'd been stressed and lonely lately and worrying over her recent weight gain. She deserved a secret and a moment's privacy, so Romani decided to play the happy, ignorant child of the family like she always did when the mother was depressed.

Relieved that Link was only in Cremia's fantasy because of his presence at the ranch, she put on a brave smile and walked back inside. Cremia was out of the bathroom (and clothed, thankfully), humming as she prepared breakfast.

"Good morning!" Romani chirped.

"Oh! I didn't know you were up already. I expected you to still be asleep."

"I went to bed right after I left you last night, so I woke up a little early. Most of the morning chores are done."

"That's a relief. Maybe I can leave a little early today and spend some time with Anju." With that conversation done, she went back to work, still humming. Romani cheered up instantly.

"You seem pleased. I knew you were excited about Link coming here!" she said, feeling much better about the way Cremia had acted yesterday when she pretended not to care about his arrival.

Cremia adorned a warm expression that spread to Romani's face as well: it was great to see her happy for a change. "Of course I'm excited he's here." But her grin faltered when she turned from the oven and saw Romani for the first time. "Isn't that what you wore yesterday? You should put something clean on."

"It is clean. I washed it after I took it off last night, and I dried it over the fireplace and put it on the clothesline."

"You should still choose something else. If you wanted to wear it today, you should have asked me to clean it for you last night."

"Romani can clean something just as well as you can."

Cremia eyed her sternly and opened her mouth to retort before she saw the defiant look she earned in response. "I'm sorry. You're right." Then she returned to her work.

Having won the battle, Romani nevertheless fidgeted with her outfit nervously. Even with the apron covering Cremia's shirt, it was easy to tell that she was incredibly (almost unfairly) well-endowed while Romani, despite being sixteen, still looked like a little girl with her small frame, petite curves, and tiny hands. Her special dress suddenly didn't seem so flattering. Did it make a difference at all, or was it just another dirty outfit like her others?

She looked up when a hand touched her shoulder and froze at the kindness radiating from her sister's eyes. "You look beautiful, Romani."

Beautiful…that was a much better word than cute. "Thank you, sister," she said gratefully. "Is Link awake yet?" When the older woman shook her head, she stood to retrieve him.

"Wait!" Cremia said quickly, the smile leaving her face. It awkwardly found its place again as Romani stared, confused. "I mean, I worked him really hard last night. Let him rest some more, and I'll wake him later."

"That's okay. I'll just do it now." She rushed outside before her sister had a chance to respond. Giggling, she thought to herself that Cremia would have to get back in shape if she wanted to maintain her authority.

She had a point, though. Romani felt bad about rousing Link after how tired he was when he arrived yesterday, especially after he stayed up late to do a chore she should have done. But the more time he spent awake, the more time they'd have together, and she knew he wanted to be around her just as much as she wanted to be around him.

When she burst into the barn, however, no sound escaped from her. Her eyes widened, her heart pumped more vigorously, and blood rushed to her cheeks for the second time that day. After gasping a trivial breath, she whispered an equally trivial "Wow…"

She hadn't known Link ever slept naked. He was always such a private person and didn't like to expose skin, but presently she had a rare delicious glimpse of the broad chest and muscular arms his blanket didn't completely conceal. Romani gulped. Seeing two people nude in the same morning aroused thoughts she normally didn't have, thoughts that certainly were not appropriate for someone who wasn't (she blushed harder) married. With Cremia's moans still fresh in her memory, she imagined those moans coming from her instead, and as her gaze lingered on the proud tent above the material covering his waist (morning wood, the boys in Clock Town called it), she imagined a possible source of those moans. The warmth from her face spread downward, and she had a sudden urge to replicate her sister's earlier actions.

She ignored it, wanting Link to see her as calm and dominant rather than as a blushing pre-teen when he woke. Grinning impishly, she knelt beside him. He seemed to like it yesterday when she kissed him to thank him for the new bow, so lying as close to him as possible, she pecked him on the cheek again, letting her lips linger longer this time. Link groaned awake, serene at first and then terrified when he saw her face above his.

She giggled at the normally stoical man's fear, trying to maintain the appearance of control and to ignore the heat pouring off his enticing flesh. "Did you like that?" Link stuttered incoherently, eyes flashing nervously to his stiff member and back to her, and she giggled once more at his reaction. "Get dressed, Grasshopper! Breakfast is almost ready!"

Satisfied, she darted off before he could respond and plopped down onto her chair back in the house. "Where is he?" her sister asked, tense for some reason.

"He'll be here in a minute," she replied, laughing naughtily. Cremia relaxed, but Romani stuffed her face and didn't dwell on it. Some moments later their guest walked in with his head low in embarrassment, dressed in his usual green tunic and hat.

"Good morning, Link," Cremia greeted with uncharacteristic tenderness. "You're just in time." Her cooking done, she removed her apron and didn't acknowledge their stunned reactions to the outfit she had on underneath.

It took Romani a moment to articulate a response to the out-of-character behavior. "Sister, why are you wearing that? You know that outfit's too small for you." While the tight blouse didn't show as much skin as outfits Romani had seen other women wear, it was clearly straining to contain her. The white fabric stretched at the buttons running up the garment, and to provide room for her massive bust it pulled tightly along the small of her back, making her butt stick out even though her skirt wasn't revealing.

"Aw, my mistake," Cremia replied in a way that indicated she was blissfully distracted with other thoughts. Letting her long hair fall in front of her and slide along the contour of her bosom to accentuate its size even further, she seemed more confident and energetic than she'd been in a long time.

Romani beamed, finally making sense of her actions in the bathroom. "You wouldn't make a mistake like that. You're trying to impress someone in Clock Town, aren't you?"

She sighed dreamily. "Yes, there is someone I want to impress."

Link blushed, and Romani didn't blame him. It was weird and a little disturbing seeing this side of her sister, but she squealed excitedly nonetheless. "Oh, sister, I'm so happy for you! Whoever he is, he's lucky to have you! You have to tell me everything when you get back!"

"_I__'__m_ the lucky one." She sighed contentedly again. "What do you think?" she asked Link, eyes sparkling.

"You look great, Cremia," he said through a bashful but honest grin. "So you're going into town today?"

"I have to make a few deliveries before tomorrow's festival, and I want to leave within the hour. Can you two look after the ranch while I'm gone?"

Romani was too excited about her sister's new love interest to be petty about her early departure, even after ensuring they could all spend time together. "Sure we can! Grasshopper and I will defend our home!"

He regarded Romani with confusion, and they met outside when Cremia started cleaning dishes. "Why is she leaving today, of all days?" he whispered. "Haven't you told her about _them_?"

"Romani doesn't want to worry her. Besides, the only way she would believe me is if she saw them, but then she'd be in danger since she can't use a bow like we can." She laughed. "Sister didn't believe me when I said you were coming yesterday. She thought I was just guessing." He chuckled as well, a wonderful sound she rarely got to hear. "You're in a good mood. Any reason?"

"No. I just…feel good, I guess." Romani didn't pry, overjoyed that he and her sister were so free with their emotions today. Cremia had been so dejected lately, and it usually took more effort than this to bring Link out of his over-serious shell.

Soon afterward, the group stood at the trail leading away from the stable. "Is everything loaded into the wagon? Are you sure you can do the rest of the day's tasks without me?" Cremia asked looking straight at Romani, who responded in an annoyed tone.

"Yes!" She hadn't needed a reminder to do her chores in years. Didn't she already show initiative today by waking up early?

"Okay. I'll get going, then. Have fun, you two," she said with a smile Romani could tell was forced.

"Cheer up! You'll get to see the person you like today! Wait, why aren't you wearing the shirt from before?"

"It was uncomfortable," she explained casually, smoothing out her bigger, dirtier blouse to emphasize the room she had inside it. "Besides, I only want one person to see me like that, not the whole city, and I think he's already noticed me." She bit her lip. "Can I talk to Link alone for a moment?"

"Sure. You have fun too, okay? Grasshopper and I will get the chores done right away." After hugging her sister, she ran to the other side of the house and hung the week's laundry. After accomplishing this much more quickly than Cremia would have, she doubled back, only to stop when she realized the private conversation hadn't ended.

"Have you put any more thought into it?" Cremia asked softly. Starved for details on the developing romance and wondering whether Link had a hand in helping Cremia, Romani nevertheless would have overcome the urge to eavesdrop, if not for how somber her sister had become.

Link's face was hidden from her, but she still felt his inner pain. Hadn't everyone been cheerful a few minutes ago? "I…I'm not…"

"Sorry for how bold I've been. I'm acting like some lovesick girl." Her laugh was simultaneously giddy and uncomfortable. "This is all so new to me…I don't feel trapped anymore, thanks to you. But my actions are only putting extra pressure on you, so I'm going into town until tomorrow to give you some time with Romani. Be good to her, okay? She's…really happy you're here." Link nodded mutely. "Remember that my offer still stands. I'll milk you for all you're worth, any time you want." She stepped forward, perhaps to embrace him, but her boldness had apparently worn off. Knowing what she needed, Link stepped forward and initiated the hug, and the astonished woman melted into him. Then with a bittersweet smile, she boarded the wagon and left.

Romani refused to believe what the scene seemed to be telling her. Cremia wouldn't do that to her, not when she knew of her feelings for him, and Link wouldn't be interested in someone seven years his senior. He had probably coached her on being confident last night, and she was just thanking him. "I'll milk you for all you're worth" probably meant something work-related.

She understood one thing perfectly, though: Cremia had left to give them some alone time. Though no one could see her, Romani beamed with gratitude and love for her sister. With joy renewed, she emerged from her hiding place, pulling a surprised Link away by the hand. "Come on, Link! We should do as much work as we can for her while she's gone. She's going to be tired when she gets back." The confused teen complied, and each grabbed an armful of tools from the stable.


	3. Waiting for Them

_Blizzaga Saga_: There's only one way to respond when a reviewer tells you to "speed your bitch ass up", and that's with a new chapter. Of course it still wasn't done quickly, so I'm making two promises for penance: first, the next chapter will have a lemon in it. Second, I'll have it up within a week. I thought this chapter would be lame, but I ended up liking it quite a bit, so enjoy and please review.

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><p>"Thanks for helping me, Grasshopper. Sister's been so slow lately, but you can almost keep up with me!" Link's bashful grin in the near-darkness stood out to her like a divine light, and her next thoughts spilled from her mouth. "You're cute when you smile."<p>

Immediately his smile and the light faded, and she giggled while silently wondering what she did wrong. Remembering how she felt like a kid when people called her cute, she mulled over what Sheena had told her. According to her, men had fragile egos and needed women to validate their manliness.

"What I meant to say was…it makes you look super buff." He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress as they sat beside each other. Wasn't that what people from the city said? She definitely heard little boys arguing over who was the most super buff during her last visit. "Sorry we have to wait like this. Romani isn't sure if we'll see _them_ tonight after the thrashing we gave them last year. This could all be a waste of time."

"Making sure you're safe is never a waste of time."

To her surprise, her face heated up a little. As she pulled at the grass between her fingers to calm her nerves, she noticed their hands almost touched, and she smiled through her blush. "If you don't mind waiting, then I don't either; it's all time I get to spend with you. I don't even mind all the digging we did today."

"It would have taken less time if my shovel didn't break. I'd like to buy you one that won't rot next time I'm in Clock Town."

"Oh, that's okay. We can buy one ourselves." He nodded stiffly, but did not call her out on what they both knew was a lie. Neither spoke for a moment while she played with the part of her outfit which bunched around her on the ground. Her special skirt didn't cover as much as her other outfits did, and she pulled it taut to shield against the grass and the cool air.

"The work wasn't so bad. It reminded me of where I grew up."

"How's that?"

His eyes focused on something far away, hidden from her in the dusk, and to her surprise he answered. "No one had parents or siblings or children where I lived. Everyone did their part, everyone played together, and everyone cared for each other. Nothing else mattered. When I come to the ranch every year…for a few days, it's like I'm home again."

Romani stared, in awe that he was finally opening up about his past. "Why did you leave your home?"

"I grew, and they didn't. I don't belong there anymore."

"I want to grow and move on too. Nothing changes here."

Having watched Link mature into a strong handsome man, she hated that she and Cremia were locked in their roles: locked as younger and older sibling, never having enough money to buy a brush that wasn't for the horses, and stuck forever on the ranch that was their life, empty and isolated. Thinking back to how she ignored certain events this morning, she realized she'd been doing the same for years, ever since she pretended not to know the moon was going to fall. Cremia had been so scared that Romani couldn't help trying to convince her that at least one person's innocence still endured.

"I want to see the world and everyone in it like you do and try new things! If I work hard maybe I can be a guard, or a singer, or a shopkeeper. I might even decide that staying here is the best thing to do, but I want it to be my choice."

"You want to be around people." His eyes searched her, a caring expression on his face, and this time she turned away. Was she that transparent? When did she become the shy one?

"Yes," she admitted. "Romani grows stronger and faster every year. I practice a lot with the bow, and sister has been teaching me other things. But I could learn a lot more and have much more fun around others, and maybe even do some good for the world like you do…but I could never leave sister all alone here."

"You're lucky to have each other," he replied, and at once she felt terrible for complaining when Link didn't have a family. He didn't give her a chance to mope, though, as he smiled hesitantly. "So…you're saying Cremia and I aren't enough for you?"

Her eyes lit up at his attempted humor—somehow Link always managed to surprise her—and she scooted closer until their thighs and shoulders touched. Sheena said one way to keep a man interested and boost his confidence was to laugh at everything he said, but Romani didn't need to fake her laughter. "I'd choose living with both of you over living in Clock Town, of course. Tell me stories!"

"What?"

"You already know everything about me. I want to know everything about you."

"My life's not that interesting," he said, shrinking away from the contact.

Romani didn't believe that for an instant. She didn't know why she was so completely drawn to Link, but she always suspected he kept a wonderful part of himself hidden from everyone. She hugged his arm to keep him from squirming away as he had during past visits, and he froze at the contact just like she wanted. "You're always traveling and helping people when you're not here. I bet you have tons of stories to tell. Where did you get your new sword?" she asked, referring to the blade he kept on his back while they waited for _them_.

"It belonged to someone I knew. We drove away some monsters that were terrorizing his village, but he didn't survive the battle. I use his sword to honor his memory."

"He died?" she asked. "But that means you could have…Grasshopper, you idiot! Are you trying to get killed? Why do you do such dangerous things?"

Though the story was devoid of detail, the detached manner in which he told it—like fighting and death were nothing new to him—scared her to her core, and she struck his shoulder harshly with her fist. He said nothing, not even wincing, and she couldn't help feeling sad as dusk fell. Link was one day closer to leaving and going back to doing reckless stupid things. She hugged his arm again, using the house at their backs for support as she curled into him. Neither teenager apologized or expected the other to.

"Does it ever get lonely, fighting and traveling?"

He looked to the stars which were just coming out, his lips settling into a thoughtful frown. "Sometimes," he said in a way that told her there was so much more to his answer, and she wondered if everyone was secretly lonely. She, Cremia, and Link obviously were. Was there nothing she could do? She told herself long before his arrival that this time she would convince him to stay. She had entertained silly thoughts of seducing him, begging him not to risk his life, anything to get him to consider it. She even asked Sheena, Clock Town's self-proclaimed expert at getting men's attention, for advice, but presently she couldn't bring herself to speak of it. She couldn't ask him to abandon what made him such an incredible person.

"Thank you for always being here for me, year after year."

"You'll never have to thank me for that."

He placed a shaking arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, shocking her with the forbidden contact. She'd never touched him like this without some pretense like a game of tag or waking him, and he never initiated something like this. His warmth gave her a boost of courage. "Do you ever think about settling down one day? Staying in one place?"

"I don't really belong anywhere." He spoke without emotion like he was stating a fact, like he honestly believed it. Romani was horrified.

"Of course you do! Why would you think that?" He said nothing, and she sensed she'd hit a sensitive spot. She knew so little about his past. She always wanted more from him: more time, more affection, more conversation. She couldn't get enough of him. "Don't you have anyone you can stay with? Family? friends?"

"Use your body to your advantage," Sheena had told her. Nervous but determined, Romani let the arm in her grip squish her breast, covered by a blouse but no bra since she didn't like being restricted by excess clothing and her bust was small anyway. After a day of dirt and sweat, her hair was no longer soft, but she was not self-conscious about leaning her head on his shoulder and looking up at him with pleading eyes as she finished her question.

"…A girlfriend?"

"W-we should practice with our weapons before those things come. You haven't used your new bow before." Prying himself from her grasp, he paused before offering her a gloved hand. Even with his bashfulness, he never hesitated to help her up. Had she gone too far? Her friend had mentioned that subtlety was sometimes important, and while Romani didn't have a standard to compare her actions to, she had a feeling she wasn't being too subtle.

Link removed her new bow from the magical pouch on his belt and gave it to her. Without speaking he observed how awkward the new weight and strength was to her little hands, and as she lined up her next shot, a pair of arms circled hers.

"Like this," he said, his upper body pressing against her back as he guided her grip and corrected her form. "You're moving the bow away from yourself. Keep your front arm straight so you pull back on the string instead." At a rare loss for words, she nodded and didn't (wouldn't) move. He abruptly let go as though she burned. "Sorry," he mumbled and started his own practice, but Romani focused only on him…until a dot of light entered her peripheral vision.

She turned quickly, bow drawn, but the light vanished. Several more appeared, and when they faded even more replaced them. Blinking lights frolicked in the air all the way to the forest beyond the ranch as if the world was coming to life. Romani put the bow down. "Look, Grasshopper, the fireflies have come back! The growing season is here again!"

She couldn't help her fascination with insects, or that she likened Link to a grasshopper. Without worrying about her short skirt or messing up her long hair, she leapt to catch a firefly above her head. Link merely watched at first, but eventually smiled and joined the game. Romani captured one bug between her hands, and Link's hands—just a moment too late—closed around hers. They laughed, and his hands lingered for a few moments before he flinched and pulled back like a little boy caught trying to steal something.

"You don't have to be so shy around me," she said sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back. He took a step back. She took a step forward. "If you want to say something, you can say it. And if you want to _do_ something…" Link had his back pressed against the house. She was close enough to touch him, and the thought sent a spark of desire through her. He wouldn't leave this time before she said her piece, not this year. "I'm glad you like my dress, because I wore it just for you. I saw you staring when we were working." His cheeks flushed as his eyes widened, and she beamed. "You've been my knight in shining armor from the moment we met, when you helped me with _them_ even though you didn't know me. Would you like a kiss for being so sweet?" Who needed subtlety? She knew what she wanted, so all that remained was to go for it and hope he wanted the same thing.

She invaded the paralyzed man's personal space, putting a leg between his and pressing her shorter body against his hard, muscular one. Breathing deeply for some reason, she stood on her tip-toes, communicating with hungry eyes what she wanted. Mesmerized, Link let his barriers fall at last. He started breathing deeply too and opened his mouth, letting his hot breath mix with hers. He leaned down slowly as she leaned up, their faces so close that she could already taste his lips on hers. The fulfillment of a thousand fantasies was so close that she could no longer wait and closed the distance, only to meet with his cheek. Romani stepped back, emptiness filling her. Was he…rejecting her? Had she misinterpreted his actions all these years?

"They're here!" he whispered, and she turned in a blind rage, ready to utterly destroy whatever had interrupted their moment. A lone figure approached from the distance, so dim she was amazed he spotted it.

"It's faster than usual," she answered, equipping her bow and ready to make it pay. "I don't think that's one of _them_. It's not giving off light. Is it a person?" Romani had never seen a person run so quickly. A brown cloak covered his body and face, making him nearly invisible in the night as he sprinted at them.

"He's coming at us with a sword. Still, if he's human he might need our help." Link lowered his bow and stepped in front of her. Despite her anger, she smiled at her knight's protectiveness. Nonetheless, she kept her bow drawn as the interloper neared.

It didn't do her any good. Light exploded in her vision, and as she closed her eyes a searing heat on her backside propelled her forward. "Ow!" she cried, but she didn't collide with Link as she expected to. When her eyes opened, only fire appeared. Shadows moved in front of it, and she realized she and Link were trapped inside a circle of flames. Link's broadsword clashed with two smaller blades which emerged without arms from the brown cloak, and Romani took aim. She no longer cared what or who it was; it was attacking Link. But when she let loose the bowstring, it raised its sword to block, and her arrow collided harmlessly with the flat side of the blade.

With only one sword to hold off Link, however, it quickly fell, disappearing without a trace when he cut through it. The fire too disappeared as if it had never been there, not even leaving scorch marks on the earth. Before she could ask Link what had happened, another figure appeared, this time coming straight for her. Romani raised her bow, but found she couldn't shoot when a pair of glowing red eyes appeared beneath the brown hood. A blur of green tackled the blur of brown just as a sword almost reached her, and Link tore the enemy apart with a feral yell she never dreamed him capable of. Before she could react, he scooped her up in his arms and darted inside.

She stood perfectly still when he set her down, but Link was a whirlwind of activity. After slamming and locking the door behind them, he examined her face, her arms, and everything else. "Are you hurt?" he asked in the most panicked tone she'd heard from him, but terror still choked her. Vaguely she wondered if this was the sort of thing he dealt with constantly that made him detached when he told stories. "You're safe now. There weren't any more."

Her heart beat wildly. She didn't know he could move so quickly when fighting, or when rescuing her. This was the real Link, brave and strong, the man behind the shyness created by a lifetime of isolation and hardship. As he touched her hands, then her face and hair, and even her waist to make sure she was still in front of him and not hurt, her eyes focused only on his. She saw the incredible relief that filled them, and the moonlight floating through the window made them glow with raw emotion. Enjoying the feel of his larger hands around hers (even if he wore those fingerless gloves as always), she tilted her head up slightly, and he seemed to fall under the spell of her adoring expression as his lips parted. For an instant she didn't care about what just happened outside; she felt safe with him. Even though he made her feel weak at times, right now they were together as one, his strength now theirs. "Link…"

He crushed his lips against hers. Romani's eyes closed at her first kiss, and her heart pounded like horse hooves into the earth. Her arms went around his neck and his hands held her small waist as they pulled each other closer to deepen the kiss. She never imagined that it could last so long or feel this wonderful, but she had to move her hair out of the way as she invaded his mouth with gusto, wanting to explore every part of him. He returned the gesture, and when they parted a thin trail of saliva connected their mouths, reflecting her intent to do it again and again and as many times as either of them could stand.

"I want you to go upstairs," he said carefully, emotion still in his eyes but fading fast. "Those weren't the creatures we usually deal with. They're Garo from Ikana Valley, and they're far deadlier. Worse, they're not limited to coming only once a year. It's too dark to travel, so I'll stay up and make sure no more come, and then we need to leave with Cremia as soon as she gets back."

"What does Ikana have to do with this?" She'd heard the name tossed around in Clock Town, some neighboring kingdom that had fallen into ruin and was just now starting to rebuild.

"I don't know. Please," he begged, "go to bed."

"I can help you."

"_No_. Killing them with arrows is practically impossible. I'm the only one with experience fighting them, and I won't risk anything happening to you."

Romani silently fumed at how he had once more sent her mixed signals, kissing her one moment and putting up his barriers the next. First he'd stared at her while they worked, then he avoided looking at her, then he put his arm around her, then he was terrified of touching her, and now this. When he followed her to her bedside and turned to leave, she grabbed him and pinned him onto the bed. On his back he blinked up at her, surprised by her display of power, and she straddled him to keep him still. Her knees rested on the bed, pinching his sides to trap him. She held herself above him by pushing off the mattress, and her purple skirt spilled over his legs as her rear sat on his waist.

"First I thought you were upset because I called you cute. Then I thought maybe you didn't like me, but I know after the kiss that's not true. So there's only one reason you've been acting this way: you're afraid of hurting me." He didn't have to answer; the softening of his face, the return of actual emotion to his deep blue eyes, confirmed it. She braced herself as she slowly asked her next question. "And there's only one reason I can think of for that. Grasshopper, do you—or do you not—have a girlfriend?"

Her question hung in the air like the hair that fell from her face and caressed him. He looked back at her, her hair making it impossible to look at anything except her face, but said nothing. Her arms and legs held strong, holding her up so she wouldn't fall on top of him, but her eyes and emotions didn't share their fortitude. That was it, then: he already had a girlfriend, no doubt someone much prettier than his stick-figure friend.

"I don't," he answered quietly.

Her intense expression fell, revealing a smile even as tears from her earlier sadness fell. Laughing in relief, she let herself fall on top of him and hugged him, savoring the contact. He shivered beneath her, and even without seeing his face she knew he was restraining himself. To let him know he could touch her, she let her butt rest on his lap and bent down to kiss him, but he didn't reciprocate the action: he didn't open his mouth and move desperately, longingly against her as he had only moments ago. Not knowing what she was doing but eager to reignite his passion, she slipped her hand in his, happy even as she felt the fingerless gloves he still had on—another barrier he had put up.

"You have to stop…"

Link made a strangled sound, and she gasped as something pressed into her. With her skirt spread out over his legs and spilling onto the bed, only her thin cotton panties protected that part of her body from contact, and something stiff slid against them. "Link?" she asked, eyes wide. "Is that _you_?"

He didn't dare move or speak. Romani, however, let out a low moan as his manhood stretched against his leggings and rubbed her most sensitive area, internally cheering that he really did find her attractive. Wasting no time with this information and recalling Sheena's stories of sexual intercourse, she gently grinded her barely-clothed vagina against his hardness and whimpered when it grew and pushed up, parting her lips slightly as though forcing its way into her. He trembled more, and she put her face right next to his as their genitals rubbed together, hoping to intoxicate him with her voice.

"You don't have to hold back. Just relax, and…ooooh...I'll make us feel good."

"Th-this isn't fair. I…can't think. Stop it, Romani." She responded by kissing him until he forcefully lifted her off of him. "I said stop it," he insisted roughly.

She finally listened, suddenly feeling small. "Why? I like you a lot, and I know you like me back. You don't have to be afraid of hurting me. You'd never do that intentionally, and I can forgive anything accidental."

He looked down. "I've already hurt you. I didn't just come here to help you. This time I came because I wanted to see you." She smiled hopefully, still not seeing a problem. "But then Cremia and I…"

"Why are you bringing her up?"

For once he looked directly at her. "After we finished cutting firewood, we kissed."

She searched for any sign that this was one of those rare times when he was joking, but he did not wear the shy smile that always gave it away. "You…kissed my _sister_?"

"It happened so fast. It took me by surprise, and after we kissed we—"

Romani didn't let him finish. "Is it because she's more womanly than I am?" she demanded. "Is it because she doesn't begin each sentence with her name or call you Grasshopper?"

"No, I—"

"Do you like her?"

"I don't even know what that means!" he snapped, then quieted once more. "I wasn't raised with adults around, and I haven't been around anyone long enough to learn about these…feelings I'm having. All I know is that I care deeply for you two, and I'd do anything to keep you both safe. I came here to get to know you better."

"I want to know you better too. I've wanted that for so long. I know it's hard for you to open up, but the more I see of you, the more I like."

"I like your hidden layers too…even though I don't understand your insecurities." Her breath caught in her throat. "But I still hurt both of you. She says she'll be happy whether I choose to be with her or not, but I can tell she's just saying that."

"I don't care what you and my sister did," she declared strongly, placing his hand over her heart and hoping he could feel it beating through his glove. "This is what I want."

Link breathed heavily with the effort it took to restrain himself. "No, we can't do this after what happened last night."

"So you won't because I was too late? No, I won't accept that. You liked me first!"

"It's not fair to either of you if I do this before I understand what I'm feeling. I'm leading you on." He stood, and his voice wavered. "You mean more to me than anyone. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for everything."

She watched him leave with a combination of longing, anger, admiration, and love. She wasn't going to cry. Only little girls did that, and she was no longer one. She wasn't going to cry.

She _wasn't_.


	4. The Carnival of Time

_Blizzaga Saga_: I ended up doing most of the work for chapter 5 before I started chapter 4 (5 is the one with the lemon, unfortunately), so that's why I haven't updated until now. Not my best writing, but I'm tired of being frustrated and only making little changes, so it's time to move on. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy the new stuff enough to comment on it. I'm not going to put a concrete deadline on the next chapter since that always backfires on me, but it shouldn't take long since most of the work is done.

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><p>"Let me help you with that."<p>

"Oh!" Having stood to leave the wagon, Cremia fell onto her rear in surprise at the unexpected deep voice. Nevertheless, she loved that Link was the first thing she saw upon her return, and she smiled before realizing her unladylike position: with her hair tossed about from the fall, her hand on her heart, and her legs spread, she didn't move at first, wondering if he would stare at her as he had the other night.

But Link didn't peek up her skirt or even blush. "Sorry," he muttered, picking up the empty bottles she dropped, the items he had tried to help her with.

He held out his hand to help her to the ground, and the unnecessary gesture reminded her of how he had treated her as a goddess, kissing and caressing every part of her. With effort she pushed the provocative thought aside. No matter how excited she was to see him, it was too early in the day and there were too many chores ahead of them for her to be feeling that way.

"Do you want to go to the Carnival of Time?" he asked, and all thoughts of work abruptly vanished.

"Um…that sounds wonderful!" She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, embarrassed at how eager she sounded. "But we don't have money for something like that."

"I can pay for it."

"To keep our ride at the city stable, not to mention the money it would cost for us to enjoy ourselves, we'd need at least fifty rupees," she explained skeptically, and he looked down bashfully.

"Like I said, I can pay for it. I find rupees occasionally in caves and dungeons, and I don't have anything else to spend them on…"

"That's sweet. But we can't just leave Romani here."

"I'm going too." Cremia flinched as she turned and saw her sister had been present the whole time. How much had she seen? "We'll give the animals enough food and water to last without us for a day. No one ever comes here, but we can take our valuables with us just in case."

She didn't think long about it. Traveling alone depressed her, but going with the two people she loved above all else filled her with a strangely youthful joy. "All right, but you two should bathe first. You're wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday."

Link and Romani shared a nervous glance that put Cremia on edge. What had they been doing together? "We should leave right away," the younger sister replied. "If we don't hurry it will be evening before we get there."

"It won't take long," Cremia insisted. Accepting defeat, her sister sprinted into the house. Link's eyes darted to the vast space beyond the ranch for a few seconds. "You look tired. Did…something happen last night?"

He didn't answer right away, and her tentative smile fell. Of course something happened last night. She was a fool to think he might choose her over the slender girl his age who was brave enough to be honest with her emotions. But then he shook himself as though he'd fallen asleep on his feet, and he looked to the distance again. "People from Ikana attacked us last night."

In an instant her self-pity was forgotten. "Are either of you hurt?"

"No, but we need to leave. More might come, and I want to talk with the guards in Clock Town about sending someone to investigate."

His deep blue eyes closed for much longer than a blink before snapping open. "Oh, Link…you didn't have to stay up all night…thank you for keeping my sister safe."

"I absolutely _do_ have to protect you two. You've shown me nothing but kindness. It's made me happy, and I want to cause as little pain as I can while I'm here."

What did that mean? "You don't cause either of us pain. You've made us very happy. You're good at that."

"Even if I don't have an answer to your question yet?"

No humor, shyness, or even fatigue marked his expression, only a need to know he hadn't hurt her. She didn't hesitate to reassure him. "My feelings won't change, but it makes me so happy to know you're giving us a chance. I was afraid I'd come back to find that you and Romani had…" She trailed off. He didn't seem to share her happiness, and when Romani returned he immediately took her place in the house. Cremia smoothed back her sister's hair in worry and touched her for wounds.

"I'm _fine_," the shorter girl spat, shocking Cremia with her hostility. She dismissed it as a product of sleep deprivation and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're not hurt…I wouldn't have made you bathe if I knew we were still in danger." Sniffling and making sure for the fifth time that the red on Romani's head was hair and not blood, she pulled back before scolding her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She lowered her head, and Cremia wondered if she had rested at all. "I didn't want you to worry…"

"It's my _job_ to worry about you!" Even if she wanted to, she couldn't stay mad. Romani, however, crossed her arms and continued to scowl, so Cremia attempted to return her to her usual smiling self. "At least we'll finally get to see the festival Anju always talks about."

"Yeah, and you'll get to see that guy in Clock Town you like so much," she replied coolly. Cremia blinked and fell silent just as Link returned in a fresh tunic, his eyes barely open.

Informing them he'd placed most of their belongings into his magic pouch, he had them squeeze into the wagon with the goods they still needed to unload, but when he equipped his bow and moved to guard them from the front, Romani pulled him back.

"Please, you have to rest!" she cried desperately, somehow keeping him stationary with her small body. "You stayed up all night taking care of me! Now you have to take care of yourself."

Despite his protests, Link fell asleep within minutes as the horses pulled them into Termina Field, his hat on the floorboard and his blonde hair spilling over his caretaker's lap. Familiar with the terrain, Cremia looked away from the reigns she held to make sure one more time that they were okay and sighed with relief. While Romani still looked horribly upset as she fretted over him, the little girl who was Cremia's entire life remained unharmed, and she whispered a prayer to the four giants to grant them speed so the girl could rest and Cremia could examine her just _one more time_ for injury or sickness.

She'd never be able to adequately thank Link for protecting her family, but then Romani might prefer to thank him herself. As the younger ranch sister lovingly touched her hand to the face in her lap, Cremia crossed an arm over her uncomfortably large stomach and lamented that she wouldn't be able to see Link's head in her own lap past the fat awkward things jutting out from her chest.

"Did he really not sleep last night?" she whispered, watching how the bumps shaking the carriage did nothing to stir him. "He's always pushing himself when he doesn't have to. I'm afraid he'll keep doing it regardless of how much rest he's had."

Romani's gaze softened. "Link was terrified of something happening to me. He told me to go to sleep. I wish I hadn't listened."

"Is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine," she replied unconvincingly, her stare becoming cold again.

"You haven't said the words 'sister', 'Romani', or 'Grasshopper' today. You must really be tired."

The teenager forced her eyes away from their guest's face to level an icy glare that froze Cremia. "Well, I've been busy doing things behind your back."

She nearly dropped the reigns as she understood what the angry redhead meant. "You know."

"Link told me, unlike you."

She couldn't believe she didn't see this coming. Link cared for—maybe even loved—Romani, so of course he would have told her about their indiscretion. "Oh, sweet little sister…"

Romani exploded, and it was a miracle Link didn't awaken. "I'm not little and I'm not sweet! I'm an adult and I'm pissed off!" Cremia recoiled, shocked by the rare use of profanity. "You lied to me. You like Link, and you paraded around in tight clothes for him yesterday like my feelings didn't matter!" Her eyes glared with every scrap of hatred the sweet little sister could summon. "You ruined _everything_! Link finally opened up about his past yesterday, but because of you he thinks he's hurt us and he'll never open up to us again. He'll leave and keep fighting monsters until…until he…"

Romani felt everything and expressed herself to the greatest extent life allowed, and the intensity of her crying, the way she had to hold her hand below her cheek to keep from splashing Link with her tears, negated every positive feeling Cremia ever had about herself. She had failed to keep her sister happy, failed to give her the childhood which was taken from both of them when their father died. The younger sister didn't slap away the arms that circled her, but once they touched she elbowed her viciously.

The surprisingly powerful blow to her stomach separated them, and Cremia focused on steering again. She couldn't make it up to her. She couldn't fix it, so all that remained was to come clean. "You're right. I like him. I felt brave after he complimented me, and I made a move. But I also told him I'd be happy no matter who he chose to be with."

"You made a move, even though you knew how I feel about him! You could have given me a warning, or—"

"I gave you time. I thought you would have gone after him years ago. And I left yesterday to give you time together."

Unable to argue anymore, she looked down, letting her thick hair cover her thin frame. "Why did you have to get involved?" she sobbed, and Cremia was shocked by how quiet, how utterly defeated, her voice was. She couldn't remember ever seeing her strong sister look this small and frail. "Link is my best friend and more…but no one would ever choose someone who looks like me over someone who looks like you."

"Why not?" she asked, not understanding. Did the teen truly think she wasn't attractive? Did she think Cremia was?

In a flash the sadness was gone, replaced by anger. "Don't talk down to me, _Cremia_!"

The stern mother in her came out, even though she knew it would only made Romani more defiant. "Don't take that tone with me."

"Stop acting like my mom! You're not—"

"Ugh…" Link groaned, and she froze mid-yell as he rose from her lap and put his cap back on. "How long was I out?"

"We're almost there, so maybe two hours," Romani answered hoarsely.

"I didn't mean to sleep for so long."

"After everything you did, you should get more rest than that," Cremia commented worriedly.

"Thank you, but I'm fine." To her horror, he actually looked refreshed. What awful lifestyle had accustomed him to needing so little sleep? His sharp blue eyes, bright with purpose, scanned Termina Field, but eventually he noticed how she stared straight ahead and how Romani refused to look at her sister. Sighing and at once looking more fatigued, he spoke again. "Romani, about the other night—"

"I don't blame _you_, Link." She sent another glare in her guardian's direction.

"I'd rather you blame me than her," he snapped, and Romani's moist eyes widened at his harshness. "You've always been happy around each other. Don't let that change because of…" He didn't know how to finish, and Cremia wondered whether any of them knew what to call this tangled web. "Can't we just enjoy the festival? I want you to be happy."

Romani's frown dissipated. "…Romani wants to be happy too." Cremia said nothing in her relief, afraid that speaking would ruin everything again. Romani looked at her and forced the anger from her face. "Can we see Anju and Kafei?"

"Of course. They'll be surprised to see us after I just visited them yesterday, especially you two."

She wiped the wet trails from her cheeks and swallowed a few times, presumably to soothe her raw throat. "Maybe they'll ask to adopt Grasshopper again. Just think, you could pay for us to go to the festival whenever you want." Link rolled his eyes at Romani's teasing, and she smiled slightly for the first time since they left.

"And I could sleep in this comfortable wagon whenever I wanted," he joked weakly. Romani's expression perked up further and she talked excitedly, but Cremia found it difficult to add her own joke to the conversation. Thinking back to how she could only talk about milk when Link showed up at the ranch the other day, she wondered if she was only capable of working. Her pang of jealousy toward Romani for being able to converse so freely with Link dissipated, though, as she realized that he had eased the tensions in the group. This wouldn't be their last fight, but for now they could enjoy themselves without worrying about money or deliveries, all thanks to him.

At the stables outside the town gate, he paid a red rupee for the space their horse and carriage occupied. Romani gaped at the throngs of horses and people before they even entered the city wall. "Come on, guys!" she shouted excitedly and ran through the gate, only to immediately stop at a small tent. "Ooh, what's this?"

A teen sat behind a table with a face-down deck of cards, and she looked at the group with piercing red eyes above a white scarf covering her mouth. "Welcome to the Carnival of Time. Would you like a free tarot reading?" She spoke with a hard masculine edge that caused Cremia to reevaluate her. Her hair was short for a woman, but her face was smooth and her hair clean and golden. Tight blue clothes showed off a slightly muscular body, but her chest stuck out a bit more than a male's should have. On top of all that, she seemed to have eyes only for Link as she addressed the group. In short, her cross-dressing couldn't possibly fool anyone.

"I'd love one! What can you tell me about my future? Will I have a family? What will I be doing? I can't wait to find out!"

"You know it's not real, right? It's just a game."

Romani put her hands on her hips and glared at Cremia. "Romani knows it's not real, but that doesn't make it a waste of time."

"I'm afraid I can only give fortunes to the adults in the group, little lady. Due to popular demand, my readings now have sexual connotations inappropriate for anyone under fifteen."

Cremia tensed in anticipation of an angry tirade, but Link swiftly intervened. "We're all adults here."

"I'm sixteen," the youngest-looking one said through gritted teeth.

"My apologies." To their alarm, the masked woman's eyes glowed briefly, and Cremia got the uncomfortable feeling that she was peering into their souls. The gypsy motioned to Romani and flipped a card to reveal a picture of a golden fox. "The Keaton: spirited and playful, you possess a deeper wisdom and personality that only those close to you can see, and you have the energy and passion to accomplish any goal. In bed you are wild and unpredictable, doing whatever it takes to bring maximum pleasure to you and your partner."

"Wow, I got a fun one! You go next, Link!" His brow furrowed in confusion at her eagerness, but Cremia knew she wanted to see if they were sexually compatible.

The next card revealed a snarling beast. "The guardian wolf: introverted, gentle, and kind, you are also a fierce protector, and those who mistake you for a docile pup quickly come to see the truth when they cross your loved ones. During moments of intimacy your bestial nature comes out to play, and your preferred sexual position is doggystyle."

"What's doggystyle?" he asked. Romani looked to Cremia, who shrugged.

The woman seemed flustered by Link's attention. "None of you know? Are you sure you're all adults?" Link stared unflinchingly at her, and Cremia saw the color of her cheeks begin to match her eyes. "Well, goodness, it's…" The sisters shared a look. No peasant, not even ones like them who lived far from the profanity of the city, used the word 'goodness' like that. "It's when a woman is bent over or on all fours, and a male, um…does her from behind like a dog," she stammered, refusing to look at him.

Romani tapped her chin thoughtfully, but Cremia didn't have to imagine it; the memory of the event lingered in her still-sore hips, her desire for Link to give her another "work-out", and the aching of her insides which begged for his touch again. Seeing his blush mirror her own, Cremia squeezed his hand lightly while Romani focused on the stranger.

A fair blue-haired maiden appeared on Cremia's card. "The goddess Nayru: though you aren't the most physically capable person, your love is boundless and your beauty envied by many. Upon finding love, you give your entire self to your soulmate. This truth carries into the bedroom, where you love to be dominated."

Cremia couldn't help smiling, but she withdrew her hand shyly, clasping it in front of her dress. "I've never heard of Nayru. Who is she?"

Link's eyes narrowed. "What are you really doing here?"

At his accusatory tone, Cremia reevaluated the stranger once more. Did he know her? The gypsy pointed to a box with a hole in the top. "I tell fortunes, but really I'm here to make sure everyone makes the required ten-rupee donation to fund future festivals. I'm not looking for someone, if that's what you're asking," she insisted awkwardly. Link dropped six blue rupees into the box and walked away briskly.

"What was that about?" Romani asked when they caught up to him.

"I was just saving time. I only have a few days before I have to leave, and I want to enjoy them. Let's see Anju."

The massive dial on the clock looking over South Clock Town shifted as they arrived, and a crowd cheered as the countdown to the growing season dropped by an hour. Romani turned every which way to look at the masks people wore—couples' masks like Anju and Kafei had, masks of the four giants, and even cow masks—but Cremia could only wonder how much effort and resources had gone into the preparation for today. How even a whole town could afford such an extravagant display confounded her.

"Y-you don't have to do that," Link stammered, and Cremia saw that Romani hooked her arm through his and wore a little smile.

"But look at everything!" she exclaimed, pointing out individual decorations with her free hand. Seeing the effect her clinging had on him, she giggled and hugged him more tightly. "If you had a mask, you wouldn't have to worry about blushing."

Cremia felt herself retreating further into her shell as they walked. Why couldn't she speak? Why couldn't she touch him, or laugh with her sister?

"Welcome to the Stock Pot—Cremia!" Kafei said with a smile as they walked through the front door. "And Link and Romani too. The whole family's here!"

"Hello, Link. Hello, Romani. You're growing into handsome young adults," Anju greeted, smiling serenely from her chair near the front desk.

"Happy anniversary," Cremia offered, finding her enthusiasm.

"It is, isn't it? Most people are too busy celebrating to stay at the inn, so we usually have this day to ourselves for the most part. Today is special for another reason, though." She sighed contentedly, and recognizing it as the same dreamy sigh she'd made yesterday while wearing tight clothes for Link, Cremia stared in wonder at Anju's stomach, bulging slightly against her sweater.

Romani gasped and practically shouted. "You're pregnant? That's wonderful!"

"Congratulations!" Cremia echoed, knowing they'd been trying for years to have a child.

"We already have a name," Kafei announced proudly. "It's a good thing you decided to enjoy the festival this year, because we wanted to know what you thought about our decision."

"Don't you have to know if it's a boy or a girl first?"

"This name will work for either. But we hope it's a boy, because we've decided to name our first child Link."

"…_Me_?"

"Of course," Kafei said easily. "If it weren't for you, our wedding might not have happened." When the sisters asked what that meant, he grinned. "He never told you? He helped me get my wedding mask back from a thief in Ikana Valley. If I'd gone into the hideout alone, the monsters inside surely would have killed me."

"Not to mention the whole time I thought Kafei had disappeared, Link delivered his messages to me and kept my faith in him alive. Any way you look at it, he kept us together during our time apart."

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this?" Cremia didn't know whether she was asking the happy couple or Link, who scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"What for?" Anju laughed. "So we could remember all the awful things that happened before our wedding? No, we prefer to think about the good. Any child discovered during the Festival of Time is destined to have a bright future. Our baby will be special. And finding out that I'm pregnant on the day of our wedding anniversary…" Looking up from her stomach, she smiled beautifully. "Is Link finally courting you?"

Cremia froze before realizing they meant Romani, who still hugged Link's arm . Link looked down, but to everyone's surprise Romani didn't tease him. "No." Despite her answer, she grinned. "I'm courting him."

The expecting parents laughed, but Cremia knew Romani wasn't joking. The rest of the world fell away as the unexpected declaration provoked her into taking action at last. She wouldn't oppose Link being with Romani if he loved her, but she couldn't let it happen without first letting him know she still wanted him. She'd sacrificed her happiness once by not fighting for Kafei, but literally fucking Link into a coma made her realize she wasn't as worthless as she often believed, and she would never disrespect herself by ignoring her feelings again.

"So am I," Cremia asserted, taking his other arm before whispering sweetly in his ear. "Besides, you're paying to take us out, so it's only proper that I take your arm."

Link's face looked like it might burst into flames. The couple continued to chuckle, which relieved her no matter how bold she felt, for laughter meant they thought this was all a joke. Laughter meant they didn't realize she looked at Link the way she used to look at Kafei. Romani glared at her, but as she touched his bicep Cremia could only think about how she wanted his rugged chest pressed against her bare breasts again. Remembering his big hands squeezing her and the fistful of delicious, glistening semen warming her nude body, she knew she was starting to like her cumbersome bust a lot more. Link enjoyed caressing her but still saw her as more than an object, and that freed the isolated woman from sexual repression, making her more comfortable about her sexuality, about _her_ needs.

With humiliating dignity, the nervous young man extricated himself from their grips. "I'm happy for both of you, but we didn't come here under happy circumstances. Swordsmen attacked Romani and me last night, so we left as soon as Cremia came back this morning. Renting rooms to all the carnival's customers, you two probably know better than most if something is going on." Disappointed at the subject change, Cremia still beamed affectionately, resisting the urge to clasp her hands over her heart at how he was taking charge of their safety. He had always been so kind, so dependable…

After making sure no one was hurt, the blue-haired man sobered. "I don't know of any recent incidents involving bandits or cut-throats. No one has been hurt coming here as far as we know, but there are some strange men patrolling the city dressed like you, Link."

"Like me?" he asked, voicing everyone's disbelief.

"Green shirts, pointed hats, and everything. They call themselves the Legion of the Green Tunic, and supposedly they're here on behalf of Ikana's royal heir in search of the heroes who saved Termina from the moon five years ago."

"Grasshopper, didn't you say the people who attacked us were from Ikana?" He nodded seriously. "Hm… Romani thought it was the four giants who saved us."

"That's what we thought too," Anju explained, "but apparently there's more to the story. The giants were in trouble, and someone had to rescue them before they could be called to stop the moon."

"Who's powerful enough to help a giant?" Cremia asked Link, who didn't respond.

"The Gorons who come here claim a Goron named Darmani saved their people from eternal winter and freed one of the giants by cleansing a mountain temple of evil spirits. Some Deku Scrubs say one of their own cleansed their swamp of poison and freed another giant. A Zora named Mikau restored order to Termina Bay and freed the third, and the people from Ikana are looking for the one who made their region hospitable again by freeing the fourth. What links these wild stories together is that the hero in each region wore a green hat and tunic. Link, I don't know if you know anything about all this, but you should check the poster the Legion left outside." Link promised he would, and Kafei smirked. "By the way, Tingle of all people stepped forward claiming to be one of the green-clad heroes."

Link blinked, Romani laughed, and Cremia didn't know how to react. "That man will do anything for money," Anju muttered sadly.

"You have to admit, though: he does wear a lot of green."

"Okay…" Link replied, carefully masking his amusement. "Since it's not safe to go back to the ranch, are there any rooms we can rent?"

The wife smiled sympathetically. "Every room is booked for the carnival several weeks ahead of time, but maybe some customers won't mind sharing. Otherwise, we can make some room for you in the lobby."

"Thank you. It's great to see you again, and I'm happy for your new family."

"Be safe, Link. I know we never managed to keep you here and adopt you, but we think of you as our son. Take care of Romani and Cremia while you're here."

Anju hugged him tightly, and the trio left. The setting sun threw just enough light to make the signs in East Clock Town legible, and Link walked purposefully down an empty alley to a poster at the end. He didn't speak or move as their eyes bore into the print, and the voices of nearby people enjoying the carnival drifted over the silence.

_The princess of Ikana would like to award the title of Holy Knight to the one who brought light to her kingdom 5 years ago by washing away the sins of the dead. Her highness's knights, the Legion of the Green Tunic, will be waiting in West Clock Town for the duration of the carnival._

"Let's go," he said at length, and Cremia's mind raced to form an explanation for his depressed state. She met him around the time of the moon incident, he was always armed, and he kept his past secret even from her. Could he be part of this somehow?

"Why? Are you going to join them?" Romani joked.

His response carried an undertone of bitterness that surprised them. "No one offers a reward like that unless they need something done. Let Tingle trap himself in her service."

"You there! Your name is Link, correct?" someone barked out, and they turned to find a bulky, green-clad man blocking their exit with his width.

Link observed him calmly, not letting on whether the rough tone bothered him. "Yes."

He smirked, and while Cremia was at first struck by how similar his outfit was to Link's, the next moment she realized they were completely different. While unusual, Link's was dulled by frequent wear, but the other man's clothes radiated a palpable strength and pride. His emerald tunic had gold sewn in, looking more ceremonial than practical, and his smirk and size contributed to his blatant presence. "Several citizens reported that you were in town during the moon crisis and that you were wearing a green tunic at the time. Is this true?"

"Yes. Do you need something?"

"Watch your mouth, boy. You will show the Legion more respect than that."

Link's voice never lost its neutral tone. "I meant no offense."

"Please don't be so rough with him. He only wishes to know why he's being interrogated." The gentle female voice commanded everyone's attention, and the confrontational man stepped aside to allow a blond woman in an elegant pink dress through. The sisters stared intently at her pale face, unmarred by age or hardship, but Link merely looked at her, the same way he looked at the soldier.

"Forgive our intrusion, Sir Link. There is a duplicate in Termina for every person you knew from your homeland, so perhaps it's no surprise to you that Princess Zelda's double is also royalty. I am Ikaros, princess and soon to be queen of Ikana. I had hoped to recognize and recruit the hero who saved Termina some time ago. I know for a fact that a young boy named Link brought rest to the dead in my kingdom." Romani turned to him in shock, no doubt trying to put the pieces together like Cremia, but he didn't visibly react. "I take it these women don't know who you really are. I admire your humility in pretending to be an ordinary person."

The guard sneered. "I keep telling you that there are four heroes and not one, your highness, but you never listen. In any case, we already have a probable suspect in Tingle, and this whelp doesn't carry a weapon even when he's escorting a lovely lady." His disregard for the princess's opinion—like no one could stop him from doing what he wanted—and the way he gazed hungrily at Cremia made her take a step back.

Romani seemed about to tell them about the weapons Link kept in his magic pouch, but Link spoke first. "I admit it: I'm not a warrior. We'll be going now."

"You must know something," the guard continued without apologizing. "Your garb is identical to what the saviors wore."

"Please, Sir Link…As a descendent of Ikana's royal family, I can communicate with the dead. The spirits who were laid to rest in Ikana five years ago have been cursed once more, and the ghost of my ancestor, the late king Igos Du Ikana, tells me that only the hero who already saved him once can save him again. I offer you anything within my power to grant in exchange for bringing peace to the dead again. You can have all the land you want, any title, even my hand in marriage and the throne of my kingdom if you ask for it."

Cremia's eyes widened—whether from the thought of Link marrying or the idea of Link being royalty, she wasn't sure—and the guard showed equal surprise, apparently not aware she intended to offer so much.

Link was less impressed. "There's nothing you can offer that I would want."

"If nothing material I offer would matter, then what about compassion and understanding? I know who you really are. The dead see through the living, and the cursed spirits have told me everything about you. You are an unsung hero from the parallel world of Hyrule, the champion of a goddess Termina has never heard of. The symbol of Courage leads you always to new lands to fight evil, and you have not been able to live in peace for five years."

"Stop." He closed his eyes as though unable to confront her words, and for not the first time Cremia wondered if his visits to the ranch were the only moments he allowed himself to relax. "Please…I came here to spend time with my friends."

"I know you desperately seek companionship, but neither these women nor anyone else can understand you. They can't help with the battles, the nightmares, or the memories of a future which no longer exists. Forgive my forwardness, but I believe destiny brought us together to help each other. You've never opened up to anyone because you know no one will believe you. The only one who understood you, your precious Navi, is gone."

"S-stop," Link choked out. Cremia had never seen him this vulnerable before, and she couldn't help putting her hand on his arm lightly and whispering his name as she wondered if any of that was true. The princess's eyes communicated concern and absolute sincerity. Did Link avoid opening up because he thought no one would believe him?

"I will happily take your fairy's place as your confidante, if you will let me. This constant fighting and traveling is not what Zelda wanted for you when she sent you back to your time to relive your childhood."

He shed tears for the first time either sister had seen, and Romani's rage visibly flared. "He told you to stop! Let us through! Link doesn't need some lunatic reopening his old wounds!"

"Watch your mouth," the behemoth warned, stepping toward her. Cremia hugged Romani protectively and shrank against the wall at their backs, praying for this to be the one time when Romani didn't speak her mind, but she continued yelling and struggled to free herself even as he reached a massive arm forward.

"Touch them and lose a hand," Link growled, standing between him and the sisters and throwing a glance toward the princess. "You should know better than to corner a wolf. We have a tendency to show our teeth."

"It is no marvel that you saw through my disguise. Only the hero who has seen my counterpart in the parallel world could have known that I was a woman when I was disguised, and that I was waiting at the entrance to Clock Town for him to appear."

"I knew you were the fortune teller too," Romani cut in. "It was obvious that you were a woman, plus your forms have the same unusual blonde hair."

Cremia hesitated, not wanting to worsen the situation, but threw in her agreement. "It…wasn't a very good disguise." The princess's mouth hung in shock, and a Clock Town guard in iron armor appeared at the end of the alley.

"Is everything all right here?"

"Yes," Link replied with a tremor in his voice. "The princess of Ikana was just about to leave. She's looking for someone."

Cremia did not understand why the woman looked so heartbroken. "I understand. Your soul is weary from your latest journey. My heart is open to you if you want to talk. I will be in the west part of town."

The servant and his princess departed, and the Clock Town guard soon followed their example. But Link stood in place, suddenly looking like the oldest one present. Cremia clutched his left hand, vaguely aware that Romani did the same with his right. "If something's wrong, you can tell us."

For a moment he looked like he would say something, but then he looked down. His long bangs hid any feelings his eyes might have otherwise revealed. Romani crossed her arms and glared beyond the alley. "Can you believe her? Trapping us here and talking about parallel worlds and time travel—"

His hollow laugh halted her rant. "Right," he agreed emotionlessly. "Who would ever believe that?" He at last looked up, and tears streamed down his face as he clenched his fists and stared bleakly at nothing. "I'd hoped I could take a break from fighting. I thought I could forget who I am, just for a few days…but there's no peace, even here." He sighed, resigned to his fate. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't worry about it, and don't follow me."

He shook off their hands and ran, leaving them to look at each other without a trace of their earlier disagreement on their faces. Romani no longer felt rage toward Cremia, only fear for Link. "Sister, every time he leaves us, it's to do something dangerous. We…we can't let him keep risking his life!"

Cremia had no idea what was going on, but she knew she couldn't let him deal with whatever trauma he'd suffered alone. Like her, he'd had to grow up too early, and he had trouble dealing with emotions. "I know," she placated. "We'll do whatever it takes to get him to stay. I want you to wait for him with Anju and Kafei. I'm going to see Mr. Barten about getting an advance on our next delivery so we can build a proper bed for Link. I don't know how long working out the details will take, so when he gets back it may be up to you to cheer him up. Help him have fun, and make sure he gets some sleep."

"But…without you?"

Cremia nodded, and both sisters knew they had to set aside their feud for the moment. She still had to show him she was serious about wanting him, about loving him, and leaving him alone with Romani wasn't the way to do it; but Link's well-being was more important. No matter how skilled he was with a weapon, he despised conflict, even the arguments between his two "suitors", and she promised to give him the time, love, and protection he needed to recover from whatever had made him that way.

* * *

><p><em>Blizzaga Saga<em>: Pssh. Princesses, amirite?

I saw an incredible Valentine's picture on DeviantArt with 25 panels of different Zelda pairings, and guess which one was in the middle? Cremia-Link-Romani, baby! It's much cuter than this shit, so check it out. Since I can't post links, search "romani anju kafei cremia" on deviantart dot com if you're interested. It should be the first picture that shows up.


	5. Child of the Sun and Moon

_Blizzaga Saga_: Whenever I add to something I'm proud of, I always feel like I'm about to ruin it, so writing is often depressing for me. Even when I really want to work on fanfiction, I end up procrastinating to delay the inevitable failure. Is that weird?

After nearly giving up, I've found a story/romance balance that pleases me, and I've chosen the final pairing/harem. Get ready for some hardcore plot. :P Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, suggestions, and encouragement. I hope you will continue to do so.

P.S. If you don't remember Sheena, she's the one who told Romani in chapter three that men have fragile egos and need women to validate their manliness. ;)

* * *

><p>When Link finished focusing and opened his eyes, he sported a confidence that made Romani smile, and the targets behind the Shooting Gallery counter fell quickly. "Thanks for all the archery lessons, Grasshopper. I feel like I can do anything when you're with me!"<p>

She fiddled with her dress to keep her hands busy, fearing she might drift toward his lips if she didn't stop staring at them, and frustration tainted her joy as he handed her the heart-shaped jewel they won. Why did everything about the festival have to symbolize union? The owner seemed frustrated too and narrowed his eyes at the two strangers, but she only grinned and thanked him before tugging Link outside.

He ran to keep up and ducked under a ball which one juggler tossed to another. Romani giggled, not having to duck because of her smaller size, and her laugh coaxed an almost-smile from him. His eyes had been blank since their encounter with Ikaros, but she beamed at his attempt to have fun despite the grief he thought was hidden. Her free hand clenched her new jewel, and she thought it would shatter from the joy and sadness in her grip.

He avoided contact with others as they infiltrated the crowd around the clock tower, but the hundreds of people only made her feel more alive. "Anju said the sun and moon meet once a year when the fireworks start, and everyone dances to celebrate the new growing season. We should dance too!" she announced, encouraged by the sun and moon masks—masks for couples—surrounding them.

He smiled genuinely—almost apologetically—this time, focusing only on her and not on the gallivanting faces of monsters, giants, and celestial bodies. Having never danced before, she wondered if it was fun. Having kissed Link only once, she wondered if the new year would give her another opportunity.

Having always known he lived dangerously, she wondered how many people like Ikaros manipulated him into risking his life.

"Link! Is that you?" An unmasked boy squeezed between two adults, carefully holding the red handkerchief over his hair in place.

"Hello, Jim." Link's lips lifted slightly more than usual, and Romani scolded herself for looking at his mouth again.

"How are you? Have you been fulfilling your Bomber duties in other lands? Oh! Um…hey, Romani."

"Hi, Jim," she returned pleasantly, and Link sent her a questioning glance. "When do the fireworks start?" she gushed, not having to fake enthusiasm about that.

"Ha ha! Check the giant clock! I'll see you guys in two hours!"

With a wave he disappeared among the throngs of people. "He seemed…eager to leave," Link observed. Every part of him remained tragically composed in the chaos around them, and she abruptly wished they were chasing fireflies again.

"He's always been awkward around Romani." Years ago she had a crush on the younger boy because his helpful nature reminded her of Link. Jim had rejected her immediately because of how far they lived from each other.

Emotion returned to his eyes, and she saw concern in his imperfect posture. She wanted to yell her problems to the world and feel Link's lips on hers again. She wanted to grow, wanted everyone to see Link's strength and kindness, but that would never happen while his depression lingered or while the only city she knew treated her as an outsider. The heart in her grip threatened to break. She wasn't used to hiding her feelings, but after what happened last night she knew they would jeopardize her mission to help him have fun.

"Come on, Romani wants you to meet her friend!" She pulled him along again, running more quickly the more worried he looked. The festival torches became fireflies in the distance, and confusion took the place of worry on Link's face when they arrived at an abandoned alley. "Sheena, are you here?"

From shadows slick with grime emerged a dark-skinned woman whose golden eyes reflected light like a cat's. Her slim belly showed below her purple top, and short red hair framed a mischievous smile. "Romani, hi! And who's this? I hope he's a customer." The Gerudo bent forward, intentionally showing off her cleavage.

Romani glared, but sorrow rapidly overtook her anger as she seemed to shrink inside her work dress. To her relief, Link's eyes never left the woman's face. "I'm Link. It's nice to meet you."

"So you're the one she's always talking about." Her painted lips formed a smirk, and Romani blinked. Was that remark supposed to embarrass her? "I recruit suitors for my sisters to keep our population from dwindling, and at night I work in this alley. Perhaps you're in need of my services? I promise to make it worth every rupee."

"Stop it, Sheena!" Romani scowled. Only she was allowed to tease Link.

Sheena faced her with a predatory gleam. "I'm just trying to get a rise from you. It's refreshing to see a _true_ woman in this pathetic city, especially one with hair like a Gerudo's."

"What's so bad about Clock Town?" asked Link innocently, and Romani felt stupid for not knowing either. Despite how she longed to be part of Termina, she was as much a foreigner as Link.

"Women are seen as less than men here. They're expected to just look pretty and serve their masters. The only goddess on people's tongues is the nameless goddess of time, a commodity to be measured and taken advantage of. I suppose we Gerudo perpetuate male dominance by worshipping a male deity, though."

Was Termina that bad? Romani hadn't been shaped by society, but maybe there was a reason why Cremia and Anju were so kind and demure. Did people look down on her not just because she looked like a child and didn't live nearby, but also because she had a temper?

She wasn't the only foreigner confused. "How can you have a male deity? I heard only of goddesses where I came from."

"Where's that?" Sheena asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

"Hyrule," he answered after a brief hesitation, and Romani smiled at learning something new about him.

"Hyrule," the taller woman repeated flatly.

"Hyrule believes goddesses created the world. But…I never heard of the queen of Hyrule, only the king. It was the same with the Zora there, and there was even a race of women like the Gerudo who used to be led by a man. Maybe Hyrule is more like Clock Town than I thought." Romani loved that he was opening up and trying to make friends with her friend, but Sheena frowned as though puzzled by his existence. Before she could question him, though, his eyes narrowed. "Don't look behind me, but we're being watched."

"Yes, a man in a green tunic," Sheena confirmed without looking, and Romani wondered how her two friends knew that.

"Stay here," he ordered before leaving, and the Gerudo watched his retreating form with a hint of approval Romani didn't like.

"He's hot. Intelligent too. Too bad he's a liar."

"Stop trying to make me angry. Grasshopper's not a liar."

"According to Gerudo legend, Ikana led into the western desert of a place called Hyrule long ago. Due to Ikana's worship of a male deity, the goddesses of Hyrule abandoned Termina and separated it from their blessed land forever. Link cannot have come from there, but if he doesn't want to talk about his home, that's his business."

Romani didn't doubt Sheena's sincerity, but Link had never deceived her either. At once she recalled Ikaros's claim that no one would believe him if he spoke about his past.

"You fucked him yet?"

"W-what? No!" Her hair and dress bounced at her furious insistence, but not much flesh bounced with them. Even if she got another chance before he left Termina again to do what she'd failed to do last night, what if she wasn't as good for him as Cremia was? What if her small body couldn't handle sex, or childbirth, or some other aspect of relationships that she didn't even know about?

"I would have by now. And if I were you, I would soon. Men are easy to control, but they'll leave if you don't give them a taste of what they want."

"I don't know anything about sex," she said in a tiny voice that sounded nothing like her. "What if I mess up?"

Sheena adorned a wicked grin. "Oh, my little Romani is curious about the wonders of the adult body! Well you see, a man has this thing called a penis, and a woman has this _wonderful_ thing called a vagina, and when a man and woman love each other very much—"

"I know what a vagina is!" she snapped. A passerby halted in front of the alley and raised an eyebrow at them. "If you have something to say, then say it!"

He left with a chuckle, and Sheena made no attempt to hide her amusement either. "I'm sorry, sweetie. The chances of you messing up are slim. It's hard for a woman to be bad at sex, so just trust yourself and you'll figure it out."

"Romani had plenty of confidence before, but…someone much prettier likes him."

Sheena's smirk faded, and her voice became less abrasive. "Come now, honey, it's not like you to doubt yourself. Where's the passionate, fiery girl I know? That boy is lucky you grace him with your presence. But if you're really worried, it can't hurt to suck him off. Or you could let him tie you up."

The teenager blinked. "Tie me up?"

"Let him feel in control. It arouses men like you wouldn't believe."

Romani couldn't imagine Link torturing someone, and she certainly didn't think she'd like being tied up. But tying _him_ up would solve the problem of him always leaving. She'd finally have her way with him, finally see and touch the flesh beneath the long tunic and the gloves which seemed to have no purpose but to hide him. He'd squirm away at first, afraid that he was somehow taking advantage of her despite his own vulnerable position, but he'd return her affection once she proved she wasn't a weak little girl by riding him.

"He looked like a member of the Legion, but he fled when I tried to talk to him. …Are you all right?" Link asked upon returning.

She shook her head vigorously to cool her blush. Suppressing a laugh, Sheena answered for her. "Just girl talk. It wouldn't interest you." Link nodded. "I didn't notice before, but you look familiar. Five years ago a little blonde boy in green broke into my fortress."

"There are other people in Clock Town dressed in green," he replied easily, and Romani's shock waned as she realized Sheena was making up stories to embarrass him.

"The Legion of the Green Tunic are cowards, as you just proved. One had the nerve to demand free service from me because he was the "savior" of Termina. I had to punish him." Romani's eyes widened as they darted from the dagger on Sheena's hip to spots of reddish brown on the filth-covered cobblestone. "But you fought and evaded my sisters without mortally wounding them." She sauntered toward Link, who obviously didn't know how to respond to her nearing body. "You'll have to let me handle your sword sometime. You didn't penetrate me with it when we fought, and I bet it's bigger now."

He froze beneath her in confusion, but Romani saw the hand sliding up his thigh. "Only I'm allowed to handle Link's sword!" she protested without understanding. "If he penetrates anyone with his big sword, it's going to be me!" Again a random person stopped walking to observe them, a smirk visible through the breathing hole in his mask. "What are _you_ looking at?"

"Um, the new year is almost here," Link reminded them. "Would you like to come with us?"

"I'm still waiting for someone worthy of impregnating my sisters. I'd like a hug from Romani, though." Romani accepted, glad that people besides her enjoyed physical contact. For some reason, Sheena always squeezed more tightly than Cremia did. The Gerudo laughed naughtily, caressing the small of her back with busy fingers as she pressed their waists together. "Come to me if you ever have more questions about the adult body, dear," she whispered, ruining Romani's mood again.

Her rage did not clear up like the mud on the streets did as they walked back to South Clock Town. The exotic music from afar did not make her curious, and Link's quiet, shy request did not excite her. "Do you want to dance?"

"Forget it, Link," she muttered, not using her pet name for him. "Let's just find my sister and go to bed. You only slept for two hours today."

"I thought you wanted to see the fireworks. What's wrong?"

Erupting, she turned on him, halting their stroll. "You don't have to check up on me! Why does everyone treat me like a child?"

Her tone neither frightened nor angered him, but only made him more concerned. "I'm not doing that. Ever since what happened with the princess, you've been walking on eggshells around me. You haven't teased me or—"

"You…like it when I tease you?" Her anger vanished, leaving wide-eyed wonder.

"Yes," he answered immediately before backtracking. "W-well, not all the time. I mean…Do you think I'd keep coming back if I didn't like being around you? Every time I leave, all I can think about is visiting again. I'd never look down on you." His face reddened, and he averted his eyes. "I know Cremia sometimes treats you like a kid, but other people do too?" She nodded dismally, and he hung his head. "I suppose I'd know that if I were ever around."

Suns and moons mingled in the distance, waiting for them, but they did not move. Five years ago the imagery at Anju and Kafei's wedding made her think of herself and Link as the sun and moon, and her naïve comparison had proven apt: like the moon, he was often distant, circling the world in his travels, but he always came back.

"You're here now," she whispered consolingly.

"I am. And I want the real Romani back."

He held her hands, and she saw in his undivided attention to her that he didn't care if she wasn't docile, or curvy, or "feminine". She wanted so badly to change sometimes, but Link, her sweet, handsome, wonderful best friend, already liked her for who she was. He accepted all of her, good and bad, and tears stung her face as she let her emotions free at last, knowing he wouldn't think less of her for it.

Unfortunately for him, the first one she released was anger. "I need to know where you went when you left me and sister at the inn. You'd better not be running off to save the princess."

"Others are already claiming to be the hero."

She did not miss the way he avoided answering. "Right, so you don't have to go."

His shoulders sagged as though carrying a great burden. "No. But I'd never forgive myself if I didn't."

"Why not? Are you a knight? Is that why Ikaros calls you Sir Link?"

"I'm not a knight, but I'm still going to help her…not until tomorrow, though. I…I want to be selfish and spend time with you and Cremia," he stuttered, embarrassed at admitting something so "selfish".

"So you didn't leave to see the princess?" she asked again in a warning tone, placing her hands on her hips.

"No. I asked the Great Fairy in North Clock Town if she knew where Tatl was, since I'm probably going to need a fairy's help. She removed my fatigue and said she didn't know, but…" His gaze hardened in a rare display of anger. "I've had enough people lie to me that I know when someone's being dishonest. No fairy has ever lied to me until now."

Romani had entertained this conversation long enough. She didn't even know Great Fairies were real, and Link was so upset that he didn't look any less fatigued than he had an hour ago, but now was not the time to argue that. "You could _die_ if you help the princess! I know you're strong, but what can you do to put the dead to rest? We should let Ikana take care of this."

"I'm not going to die."

"How do you know?" she demanded, refusing to let this go.

"Because Ikaros was right when she said I've helped the dead before."

The absurdity of his words stunned her, but she couldn't bring herself to disbelieve him while he bore into her with such emotion. "I'm afraid something terrible is going to happen! I don't trust her. In the alley it was like you were the only person she saw, and she knew exactly how to attack you with Navi." She froze upon mentioning his ex-fairy, fearing she had gone too far, but he did not retreat into its shell.

"Do you think I want to go?" His hat crushed his blonde hair, which hid much of his face, but unshed tears reflected his naked sadness. "I…I hate fighting, and I hate being exhausted all the time."

"Then stay here, with us! We'll take care of you!"

"I _can't_ stay, Romani."

"Why not?" she pushed. "A code of honor? Is someone forcing you to leave? We can help you!" He trembled with his secret duty, and she wondered if he never spoke of his family because someone held them hostage.

"It's…I…" He took a deep breath, calming his shaking arms. "I'm sorry. You've tried so hard to make me open up, and…you must think I'm a jerk."

Again her anger faded. How did he have that effect on her? Light from the moon made _her_ moon glow, and she wondered if his silence actually made him more special. Link never boasted, never judged, only tried to understand others. He didn't dismiss Sheena because she was a whore, and he saw through Romani's childish exterior. The carnival, the crowds, the fun…everything she had wanted to see fell away, and only he remained.

"No, Grasshopper. I think you're _amazing_."

He caressed her face, and she closed her eyes blissfully at the contact. "And when I can't afford to be distracted, I think about you more than I should. You always see the best in me and Cremia. It's one of the things that make you so…" He forced the affection from his face abruptly and turned away, but drawing strength from her as she'd drawn from him last night, he gave talking another try. "Living alone has conditioned me to ignore my emotions to survive, but I promise to do better. I want to be…honest with you and Cremia, about my past and my feelings."

His large hand enveloped her tiny one. Link was not the tallest of men, but it was impossible not to notice him, impossible not to love him. And even though he hadn't said it directly, she knew he thought she was beautiful. As her body begged to be touched like he had done last night, she grew conscious of her developing hips and breasts which seemed flat just moments ago. After last night's taste, she knew with greater clarity what she wanted to do with the man so close to her.

"What do you want to do before the fireworks start?"

Romani suddenly had little interest in the carnival. They were alone. She would never get a better opportunity than this to spend time with him. "Well," she began, pulling words from the conversation they had on her bed. "We can get to know each other better. And maybe…" She tugged suggestively at his fingerless gloves. "…we can see each other's hidden layers. Have I ever told you what my goal is?"

"To b-be around other people, and to grow."

"I have an even more important one." Romani titled her head up at him adoringly, cheeks red with joy and desire.

"Romani, you…you _can't_ still want to be with me after what I told you last night," he uttered as though he thought it impossible for someone to love him unconditionally. She stepped closer to convince him otherwise.

"I was mad at first, but the fact that you told me about Cremia and didn't take advantage of me proves you really care about me. Besides, you can make it up to me."

"I still should have told you sooner."

She giggled. "I know you're not perfect, Link. For one, you're a bit slow when it comes to romance." To complete the teasing, she pressed into him as Sheena had pressed into her, and he unknowingly teased her back with his hard body against hers. "But I still think you're amazing, and being with you is still one of my most important goals." She stood on tip-toes to finally taste his lips again, but he took advantage of his height and pulled his head out of reach. Romani was undeterred, knowing how shy he was and also knowing he was worth the effort. "Don't you like me?"

He regarded her incredulously. "It took all my willpower to resist you last night. But I feel like this about Cremia too, and…" Seeing he needed convincing, she dragged his hand up her slender waist, never breaking eye contact. Remembering what Sheena taught her, she took his longest digit—uncovered by his fingerless glove—into her mouth.

A gasp escaped his throat. With her lips tugging and her tongue playfully massaging his pointer, he didn't have to ask if she was thinking about sucking another part of him. "Mmm…" she moaned provocatively, still locking eyes with him and holding his wrist in place with both hands. He melted before the burning want in her eyes, and she hoped any second to feel his erection against her womanhood once more.

"What are you doing? Get back to your post and protect the princess!" Romani tried to continue seducing him, unconcerned with any audience they had, but Link separated at the masculine shout and wiped her saliva onto his tunic. Cold from the sudden lack of physical contact, she directed an icy glare at the enormous blond green-clad interloper, not caring how she failed to notice his approach or how long she and Link were lost in each other.

"I'm not one of your soldiers," Link replied, flustered but polite.

"Then you must be posing as one of Termina's heroes. Listen, runt. The four heroes have already revealed themselves. I am the lead hero, Kieran. Any attempt to deceive her highness and rob the throne of its rightful king will not be tolerated."

Link's fists clenched, but she didn't know why. He'd never cared before when people insulted him. Nevertheless, he kept his tone pleasant. "I'm not posing as anyone. This is what I always wear."

Without warning the knight pinned him against a stone wall so his feet couldn't touch the ground. "Let him go!" she shrieked, anger building to dangerous levels. Why didn't Link fight back? While saving her last night, he had shown speed and strength well beyond Kieran's. Couldn't he see that he might get hurt if he didn't use it?

"Is that what you're going to tell Ikaros so you can take her kingdom?"

"I already told her I'm not a hero," Link assured him calmly. Kieran glowered at him and, finding no evidence of fear or deceit, released him roughly before making a show of wiping his hands clean.

"Hmph. Wash your tunic before you go to Ikana. You're not fit to serve future royalty in such filthy garb," was all he said before leaving.

After falling to his feet, her best friend stood motionless, and to her horror his expression lost all passion from earlier. "Are you okay?" Panic rose within her as he nodded lifelessly: she couldn't lose him now, not before she and Cremia showed him he had a home with them. "W-we're still going to dance, right? I mean, you're not leaving just yet, are you? We have lots to do before you go."

"Let's find Cremia," he replied tonelessly. "I have something to do."

"Wait!" He didn't listen, already walking in the direction of the Stock Pot Inn. "Don't do this! You said you were staying with sister and Romani tonight!" Desperately she shouted over the low murmur of the crowd, but he stared determinedly and hopelessly ahead as she kept pace with him. "Please, you can stay with us! We'll make you happy. You don't have to keep finding ways to kill yourself!"

"Oh!" Cremia gasped as they barged into the hotel, Romani trying without success to pull him away by the arm. "I was just asking Anju if she knew where you two were."

Anju rested behind the counter holding her large stomach, and between her and Cremia stood none other than the smiling princess of Ikana. Romani held Link's arm to protect him and narrowed her eyes at the princess, who seemed not to notice.

"Greetings, Sir Link," she said with a curtsy. Her royal dress and dainty shoes clashed horribly with the sisters' dirty work boots and the inn's humble interior, but she appeared happy to be there. "I did not mean to occupy your friends. I wished to know if this inn had any vacancies. It is my duty to stay in Clock Town until I find someone who can help my kingdom."

Romani refused to watch silently while Ikana's heir manipulated him. "Grasshopper, don't!" she pleaded, already knowing what he intended to do.

"Link, what's going on?" Cremia asked, uneasy from whatever had happened before their arrival. Seeing his unusual aloofness, she glanced worriedly at Romani for an explanation, but Romani didn't dare remove her gaze from Ikaros.

He spoke directly to the princess. "I'll help your kingdom in any way I can, but I need something for my friends in return."

"If you would like, some of my knights can watch over them."

"Link, you jerk! Listen to me!" Despite his introverted nature, Link had the deepest and most expressive blue eyes Romani had ever seen, and she noted as the royal woman gazed fondly at him that she was similar in that regard. Despite her increasingly urgent need to discover and foil the princess's plans, however, she saw no ill intentions behind the mask of make-up and flowing blond hair.

"I don't trust you or your men with their safety. But their home, Romani Ranch, is unguarded from monsters and thieves. If you send some of your soldiers to occupy it and look after the animals while Romani and Cremia are away, I will go to Ikana."

"That is acceptable. Sir Ralph, you and your partner shall look after Romani Ranch until further notice."

A pair of knights Romani hadn't noticed before stood from their chairs in the corner. "Surely you're joking, your highness. We are two of the four heroes! We can be of greater use to you in your homeland than on—"

His partner held up a hand to silence him. "We go where we are needed. I'm sure her highness knows what she is doing."

Romani quickly used the distraction to accuse and undermine the princess. "You seem to know Grasshopper well for someone who's never met him before."

"As I have said, the dead have told me much about him. From a young age, I have felt connected to things and people others cannot see. When Ikana was still a prosperous kingdom, its citizens were highly attuned to spiritual phenomena due to their fervent worship of our patron deity. The Lens of Truth Sir Link carries was made in Ikana."

"Patron?" Link repeated. "As in male?"

"Yes. The golden sun was born of the heavens, and the silver moon was born of the earth. Ikana's guardian was born of both: a sword of silver and gold, silver hair with gold blemishes, and a moon emblem bright as day on a blue breastplate dark as night. Sir Link, you have encountered this divine being before. He is at the heart of our dilemma. You know him as…" She paused, suddenly remembering there were others present. To Romani's vexation, she asked with her eyes for permission to continue, another sure sign that she knew him.

"Tell them anything you tell me," he said as way of apology to the other women. "I'm explaining everything to them later anyway."

The princess seemed conflicted and cleared her throat with a dainty cough. "As you wish. You know him as the Fierce Deity." Link went rigid and Romani grew more afraid for him, knowing he hadn't reacted like this to the person who just assaulted him. "Please ride back with us, Sir Link."

"I can teleport to Ikana on my own."

"Ah, I forgot that you know the sacred Song of Soaring. My men and I will travel tonight and meet you in the morning."

Romani couldn't make sense of this, couldn't even speak as everything spun out of her control. Cremia and Anju looked on in helpless confusion while Sir Ralph shook his head, deciding his princess and her acquaintance were insane.

"Thank you so much. I have not forgotten about your needs, Sir Link. I am truly sorry for ruining your evening, but while you are fighting I will be there if you need anything or wish to talk. After this is over, I promise to do right by you."

With her hands over her heart as she made her promise, she beamed as though having his support was all she needed to solve her problems, and the two knights scowled at Link suspiciously before escorting her away. Glancing out the window to make sure they were gone for good, Link turned to Anju. "When the festival is over, will there be a vacancy here?"

Finally faced with something she knew, the pregnant woman regained her voice, answering automatically despite her obvious confusion. "Um, yes. A double is fifty rupees per night."

A handful of silver rupees materialized from his magical pouch. "Here's five hundred. I need to rent a room for them until I get back." Turning, he placed several in Cremia's hand as well. "Here's five hundred more for food."

The women stared at him dumbfounded. "Link, where did you _get_ this?" Anju asked. Romani grew a wounded expression identical to Cremia's, uncaring of the money and just wanting him not to get hurt.

"There's no time to explain. I'm sorry for being short with all of you, but you need to stay here."

"Grasshopper, don't go!"

Link took both sisters' hands in his, his tenderness matching theirs. "The soldiers and the princess are targeting me. I have a feeling the Garo were too. I asked every guard I saw when I left you two earlier, and none had heard of anyone other than us getting attacked. To keep you safe, I have to stay away for a while."

"And what, run off by yourself to be killed?" Romani demanded. "If you're going, then so am I!"

The softness in his face vanished. "No you aren't."

"I can help! I can use a bow almost as well as you can!"

"There's more to fighting than knowing how to use a weapon. You _aren't going_." She took a step back at his tone. This was the real Link, the fierce spirit—or beast, according to his tarot card—behind the social awkwardness he showed everyone. She'd always admired that he had a stronger will than she did, but she never thought it would work against them like this.

"There's no need to rush if you can travel faster than they can," Cremia appeased strategically. "Can't we talk first?"

Romani cheered internally. "Yeah, let's go somewhere and talk."

Acting strangely childlike, Cremia averted her eyes, unable to face the three people before her. Romani's hope sank into her stomach. "Actually, I need to speak with him alone."

"What? Romani wants to go with you! We're all part of this." Couldn't she see that Link's determination might overpower theirs if they didn't work together?

"This is something I have to do. Please? You've had him to yourself lately."

A surprisingly strong voice carried the weak argument. Cremia had never asked for anything from her. Suddenly she felt their roles had been reversed, that she was older and Cremia was younger, and she realized she had lost. "Okay, sis…" Anju observed her friend's behavior—the way she still held Link's hand and begged to be alone with him—until realization showed on her face.

The older ranch sister smiled beautifully. "Thank you. Please come with me," she said, linking arms with him and walking nervously away from Anju, who watched them leave and stared at the door long after it closed. Romani thought Anju would ask something that Cremia wouldn't want her to answer, but thankfully she chose a more pertinent question first.

"He isn't really going to Ikana, is he?"

Romani felt bad that Anju knew even less than she did, but she had to act quickly. "Not if sister can stop him." Not giving the married woman a chance to reply, she bolted outside in the direction opposite Link's path. The once-invigorating crowd now only got in her way, and after what seemed like far too long she arrived at Sheena's alley.

Someone else had arrived first, however. The swordsman who operated the "Mighty Training Center" crept toward the gap between buildings, his ridiculous mane covering his eyes. The chest hair visible on his shirtless form presented an image of masculinity which failed to impress her after the stories she'd heard of the cowardice behind that façade.

"Excuse me," she called loudly, hoping to scare away the potential witness to what she was about to do, and he jumped like a frightened mouse before turning to her with his chest puffed out.

"If you wish to learn the way of the blade, you'd best search elsewhere. Swords are not for little girls, or for anyone who wears something so hindering as a skirt."

Barely resisting the urge to throw herself at him and prove what a little girl could do, she decided telling him to go away wasn't worth the effort and walked past him, uncaring of the muck she stepped in. "I'm here to see someone else."

"Ah yes, of course! Um, me too. Someone else told me to meet them here. That's what I'm doing. I'm not here for any other reason."

A silhouette separated from the shadows as she left him behind. "Do you have the rup—Romani!" Sheena's bored face lit up. "I get to see you twice? It must be my lucky night."

"I need to get to Ikana, but the road is dangerous to travel alone," Romani explained, not wasting time. "You told me the Gerudo are the deadliest fighters in the world. Can you take me there when it's light out?"

"I'd be honored to protect my precious Romani…for a price."

Romani mentally cursed upon realizing that Cremia had Link's money, but another solution came quickly to her. "I can give you this."

Sheena purred appreciatively at the heart-shaped jewel from the Shooting Gallery. "It's a deal. Even with me, though, there's no guarantee we'll make the journey safely." She paused thoughtfully, and both women realized the swordsman still stood awkwardly outside the alley. "Hello, handsome. I was wondering when you'd show up." His posture stiffened as she swayed toward him. "I have a favor to ask. We need a big, strong man to accompany us to Ikana tomorrow."

"I don't have time," he insisted with some difficulty as she pressed her body to his. Romani thought it odd that Sheena would objectify herself and manipulate someone like this after complaining about how men treated women. Nonetheless she paid attention, wondering if this was what people in the city called "sexy".

"Please?" Sheena begged, uncharacteristically sweet. "You're the best swordsman in all the land, aren't you?" Her full lips set in a pout, and her hand slid up to his chest until she leaned on him like a swooning maiden.

"Of…of course I am!"

"I'll make it worth your while…" She whispered something into his ear, and though his hair still hid his eyes, Romani imagined that they widened just as his mouth did.

"I'll do it! It is my duty to provide for a lady in need. I'll meet you at dawn by the stables."

He marched away eagerly, and Sheena laughed. "He's so easy to control."

Romani only half-listened. She squeezed the heart piece Link gave her one last time and took a silent vow to protect him, just as he protected her and Cremia from the strange invaders every year. Darkness fell, but she wasn't tired. She would not rest until her Grasshopper was safe.

* * *

><p><em>Blizzaga Saga<em>: Anyone familiar with my work on this profile or on my previous one probably expected the Fierce Deity to appear at some point. Well here he is, smartasses. =P

I'm going to stop saying when lemons will appear, because they keep getting pushed back. Hey, my initials are B.S. for a reason. Rest assured, though, they are coming. I'm hoping you'll forgive me if they're hot enough.


	6. Fireworks

"Is there a problem?" a guard asked at their approach, extending a torch to examine them. "It's too late for travel. What are you doing near the horses?"

"We just want to relax in our wagon away from the noise for a bit," Cremia replied nervously, still holding Link's arm and blushing when the guard smirked knowingly.

"I'll see that you aren't disturbed."

"Thank you, sir," she said quickly and led Link through Clock Town's gate.

Without the lights from the festivities, she could barely see the path leading past the many travelers' horses, but it was impossible to feel afraid while Link remained close to her. Beyond the stable and out of sight of the guard, she sat in front of her carriage, smoothing out her long skirt to protect her legs from the grass. Link sat beside her, looking at something far across Termina Field that she couldn't see, and despite the shadows concealing his face she could tell that he did not mind the darkness.

Cremia stared at her dress long after she finished adjusting it until Link's mind seemed to return to the present. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked softly, referencing the excuse she had given Romani. Not having actually planned anything, she stuttered.

"D-do you need to sleep any before you go to Ikana?"

"I'm not tired. I visited the Great Fairy while I was away from you and Romani earlier." She wondered if that was how he functioned while he was away, if he was obsessed with his goals like she was with working. "I don't mean to leave you guessing. I've just been trying to find the right words. I'm not good with words, and I want you to believe me when I say it." Her heart sped up as he suddenly looked at her, moonlight reflecting from his blue eyes. "About who I am and what I do when I'm away…this is the easiest way to explain."

Her hopes fell. Of course he wasn't going to confess his affection. She told herself to quit acting like a lovesick fool before a golden glow shook her from her self-admonishment: he had taken his left glove off, and three triangular marks on the back of his bare hand spilled light over the space around him, giving him a heavenly aura.

"What is that, and how is it glowing? I didn't see it the other night when we…" She trailed off shyly.

"It's called a Triforce piece. It's a…symbol that glows when another piece is nearby, or when a kingdom needs my help. It wasn't glowing the other night, but it's been burning since we met the princess. That's why I need to go to Ikana."

"...That symbol is on my belt buckle. Why? And why do you have one?"

"I don't know why your belt has an image of it. The Triforce is a sacred relic left in my homeland by three goddesses." The golden light illuminated her confused expression, and as his shoulders tensed she realized he was afraid of her reaction, which was probably why he had never said any of this before. How could she show him he had no reason to be nervous around her? "I…I'm not explaining this well."

"So you're a holy knight, sent by goddesses?"

"No. Aside from this mark, I'm an ordinary person."

Cremia strongly disagreed. Even at a young age he had been more than that, going out of his way to protect her from bandits the first time they met. Princess Ikaros's words came back to her: _I admire your humility in pretending to be an ordinary person._ She had never heard of goddesses other than the goddess of time, but this explained why he spent so much time fighting.

"If such things as holy knights exist, it wouldn't surprise me to find out you're one of them." His shoulders relaxed, but her voice wavered. "I-I always thought I'd be the one providing stability if we were together, but you obviously have more money than me and Romani do since you were able to pay Anju in silver, maybe enough to buy your own house. It seems I can't offer you much after all."

"I don't visit the ranch to take advantage of your hospitality. But…I can't provide stability either, no matter how much I want to. I'm always moving."

She could see that in his detachment from his emotions. He was already gone, already thinking about what he'd have to do in Ikana. When he removed a potion from his tunic to take a sip, she touched his arm in concern. "How often do you eat and sleep when you're away?"

"I don't need sleep or food. This works just as well."

She felt the history in his words and knew he had done this before. Romani was right: Cremia should have brought her. "I brought you here to convince you not to go, but you don't have a choice, do you?"

"I have a choice, even if it doesn't always feel that way. I'm sorry you got caught up in this. I didn't mean to frighten you into leaving earlier."

"No," she reassured him quickly. "I didn't leave because I didn't want you around. I left because I do. I made plans to have another bed made at the ranch. Romani and I want you to live with us."

He cast his gaze down, letting his blonde bangs cover his eyes, and she felt a growing urge to brush them aside. "I can't. If you ever saw what I become when I'm fighting—"

"I'd still love you." She didn't mean to blurt it like that, but she knew she had to do this. She could be strong, even if she wasn't outspoken like Romani. "If you don't end up with either of us, we still want to offer what we can, even if it's just a bed and our company."

"You say that like your company isn't enough. Every time I visit, it gets harder to leave."

Emboldened, she scooted closer to him until their shoulders touched, shoving away thoughts of how bloated and undesirable her body looked in the Triforce's glow. "I can cook and clean for you, and love you too. I'll work harder than any other woman to make you happy." She almost winced at how she made herself sound like a servant, but Link understood.

"You should save your devotion for someone who deserves it. I can't even choose between you two. I'm scum."

"Never call yourself that," she ordered in a parental tone. "You haven't been entirely truthful about your past, but you've been nothing but honest with both of us about your feelings." He had proven he cared deeply for both sisters many times, not just during this visit but each time he saw them over the years. Her clothes tightened at the memories. "It's my fault anyway. You came here for Romani and then I confused you. It was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid. It was brave."

It was so sweet of him to say that, but she knew he was just trying not to hurt her. Her eyes moistened, and she brushed her long hair out of her face. "I…I won't interfere with you and Romani. If you're happy with her, then I'm happy for both of you."

"I did start to like Romani after I became a teenager, but I had a crush on you almost as soon as we met. I'm glad we had sex." She had expected him to downplay the consequences of the other night to make her feel better, but _glad_? Hope welled up inside her. "It made me realize how much I've been ignoring the part of me that cares about you. If we hadn't had sex, I wouldn't have realized until after courting Romani that I still…have feelings for you."

Reacting to her proximity at last, he took her hand in his and pressed his lips to it, making her blush and instantly calming her doubts about her appearance despite years of insecurity. No man had ever treated her like this, certainly not a man like Link, and she smiled when the color in his cheeks matched hers from the unusual gesture. Because of how mature, capable, and desirable he was, it was easy to forget sometimes that he was only a teenager.

"When I said I'd milk your cock for all you're worth, I meant that…" He braced himself as though expecting her to take her word back, and she squeezed his hand, enjoying how warm it felt without his glove. Now that she knew he had feelings for her, she decided that it was her responsibility to guide him through the adult world of sex and relationships, even if she didn't understand it herself. "…you can use me whenever you want. Don't ever feel like I won't understand if you want to touch me, or be around me, because I want it too."

"I can do whatever I want with you?" She nodded, and then gasped as he moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach to pull her close. His chest rumbled against her back soothingly as he spoke. "You were the first person to hug me. And now I'm big enough to hug you back."

Cremia melted into his embrace as she realized he was using her offer to show he cared for her. Having traveled from Clock Town to the ranch and back to Clock Town today, she was tired. It seemed she was tired every day. But she could endure anything as long as she had moments like this, as long as she knew that all trials would end in peace.

For a while they said nothing. Neither soft-spoken person was good with words, but neither needed to be right now. She closed her eyes and sighed happily to let him know she appreciated the hug, just as she appreciated their first hug five years ago.

Just as she appreciated the hug they had shared before making love.

His arms held her securely, resting just beneath the bottoms of her heavy breasts, and abruptly she wished the thin fabric between their bodies did not exist. It had only been two days, but already she wanted to feel him again, to have him feel her again. How was it that he could excite her just by talking and holding her?

"When you dominated me…" she began bravely. "…It made me feel special. And it made me dripping wet."

"S-stop. Romani already tried this twice, and I won't be able to resist a third time. I don't know much about love or relationships, but I know it's wrong to be with one of you while I have feelings for the other."

Despite his words, a sudden pressure against her round bottom informed her that she wasn't the only one becoming aroused. He stiffened in alarm, and she looked straight ahead so he couldn't see her peaceful grin. "It's okay, Link," she placated, shifting his arms against her stomach until they nearly touched her bosoms. As he grew against her, she did not resist the warmth which spread to her womanhood.

He finally relaxed, and she imagined he looked embarrassed. "I'm an idiot for not noticing you sooner. But I've been lying about who I am since I met you. I could never stay here, or anywhere. I swear, though, that I'll find a way to make this right." She snuggled into him contentedly. She knew he would try, even without him saying it, because Link always tried to do right, always tried to consider others.

"If you can't stay, then let's enjoy each other's company while we can." He trembled, allowing her to literally feel his indecision about whether it was okay to express his affection physically. "You're going away to protect my family, so this may be my last chance for a while to make sure you're properly milked. I can't let you leave thinking you've hurt us. Let me milk you and tire you out."

"No, Cremia. You're…you're not just a _thing_ I can use whenever I'm stressed."

"I know you don't see me as an object, but I still want you to see me as a woman…_your_ woman." She had initiated their first hug five years ago and their first kiss two nights ago. She could do it again. It was the only way to once more become the assertive woman she wanted to be, the only way to let him overcome his inhibitions. She turned around in his grip and put her arms around him, climbing onto his lap and staring lovingly into his eyes. "Relax. Stay with me for a bit." His manhood pushed against the confines of their outfits, and when he parted his lips in awe of her, she could no longer hold back.

Softly, she captured his lips, tasting him again at last and letting her mouth linger on his to tell him she was sure about this. When he didn't react, however, she pulled away and saw that Link had clenched his eyes shut, his erection throbbing tortuously against her skirt. He was determined not to hurt her or Romani, and with an aching heart she realized that she was only making it harder for him.

"Forgive me for taking so long to see you as a woman, and for denying my feelings," he whispered, eyes still closed as though he feared he'd lose his willpower if he saw her.

"There's nothing to forgive." Cremia tried to keep the sadness out of her voice. Regardless of what she did, it seemed she could only make things worse. She had been foolish to think she could make Link or Romani happy, no matter how hard she worked or how much she loved them.

A loud bang sounded from above the town, and Link's eyes opened. Gasping when he lifted her off of himself, she raised a hand to her chest, and he stood protectively between her and the source of the noise. His sword came out of his magic pouch and into his hand, and despite the apparent danger, she observed with mixed sadness and admiration that he was always ready to protect others despite how much he loathed conflict. With several more bangs, however, colorful lights exploded above Castle Town to distant cheers, and his arm relaxed. The blade disappeared into the impossibly spacious pouch.

"Romani wanted to watch the fireworks together," he said quietly, and when he helped her stand, she touched his arm.

"Oh, Link…I-I didn't mean to make you feel guilty."

His glove came back on, hiding the Triforce's light and letting shadows cover his face once more. "I really do have feelings for you, but I have feelings for Romani too. I'm sorry, but I can't trust myself around either of you right now." Avoiding her gaze as though unworthy of beholding her, he summoned a dark shape she recognized as his ocarina. "I promised to tell you, Romani, and Anju everything. Let me start with this."

When he put it to his mouth and played a few notes, Cremia watched in confusion, and her eyes widened as he vanished before them. Had he played the sacred tune Ikaros mentioned, the Song of Soaring? "You really can teleport," she said, barely comprehending what just happened.

Suddenly cold without his arms around her, she hugged herself. The rush of blood which had teased and engorged her womanhood slowly drained into the rest of her body, leaving her feeling dirty and in slight pain, but she didn't care. She had failed, both in keeping Link away from Ikana—away from his possible death—and in soothing the despair the princess had caused. The look on his face as he watched the fireworks was like he had betrayed Cremia and Romani, and she feared he would never forgive himself for it, even though he had resisted a ranch sister for the third time after claiming he wouldn't be able to.

She had found the will and self-respect to be honest with him, and it only made things worse. Would she have been able to convince him not to go to Ikana had she not focused so much on showing her affection? "Please come back, Link," she said to the space where he stood moments ago, hoping whatever magic he had used would allow him to hear her. "Romani and I couldn't take it if something happened to you."

Returning to Clock Town, she averted her eyes from the guard, who was obviously confused at seeing her without her companion. Most people had vacated the streets now that the fireworks had ended, and remembering she still had to secure a bed at the ranch for Link and find employment for her and Romani while they stayed here, she used thoughts of work to ignore her emotional turmoil as she always did.

She could not, however, ignore the dark-skinned woman who greeted her when she opened the door to the Stock Pot Inn. "You must be Cremia, Romani's big sister," the woman said, grinning with some exciting secret. "I'm Sheena, specialist in sexual care." Sexual care? Did she mean prostitution? "In my home, long hair is a mark of beauty. Only the highest ranking Gerudo are allowed to grow it out. You're quite pretty, just like Romani."

"Um, thank you." She nervously tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hey, you smell familiar." The provocatively dressed woman got right in her face and sniffed before her alluring smile melted into a smirk, and Cremia blushed at the bold invasion of her personal space. Like all Gerudo, Sheena had a bigger nose than most Hylians did. Could she tell that Link had been holding her?

"Cremia, Link's not really going to Ikana, is he?" Kafei asked from in front of the main desk. Anju sat behind it, holding her swollen belly and watching them worriedly. "You talked him out of it, right?"

"He is, and Romani is too!" Romani declared, and to Cremia's horror she seemed to be in the midst of packing for a trip.

Her sister's lack of faith in her getting Link to stay validated her feelings of worthlessness, but Cremia overcame both that and her nervousness around the stranger long enough to narrow her eyes at Romani. "No you aren't."

"Cremia's right," Anju interjected gently. "It's too dangerous."

"I'm going! Am I the only one who sees he's walking into a trap?"

"Do you think he'd be able to focus if you put yourself in danger?" the blue-haired man countered. "You mean too much to him."

"And he means too much to me for me to let him go unprotected! I'm bringing Sheena and the swordmaster with me. We can save him from whatever the princess has planned, with or without your help." Romani's long hair whipped behind her as she turned to stomp away from them, but Cremia stopped her at the base of the stairs.

"Wait, Romani." The shorter, slimmer, more attractive redhead looked like she wanted to cry, but she stayed angry instead, turning away from Cremia to glare at nothing in particular. "I'm sorry for everything. Please don't leave until we have a chance to talk. I..." She swallowed. "I should have told you about my feelings for Link before I slept with him."

A horrible pause followed. Romani's jaw dropped. "Y-you _slept_ with him?" she shrieked, attracting everyone's attention.

Cremia's stomach fell. "He didn't tell you?"

"He told me you kissed. He tried to tell me the rest of what happened, but I...I said I didn't care what he did with you." Tears threatened to fall as she put the pieces of that night together, and Cremia saw that she clearly did care. "How could you do that when you knew I liked him? When I told you he was coming to see us two days ago, you didn't even care! I had no idea you liked him until yesterday, and I had to hear it from him!"

Romani was too worked up to care that they had an audience. Identifying Cremia as the source of Romani's distress, Sheena glared at her while Kafei turned away, not brave enough to participate in the conversation, and Anju's eyes lit up in realization as though she'd suspected something like this. Cremia felt herself withdrawing, but she worked up the courage to speak. There was no room for half-truths now, despite their audience. Her little sister deserved better, and Cremia reminded herself that she would never disregard her own feelings again.

"Sister…I don't just like him. I love him."

Romani stared in shock, unable to believe this was happening. "You…you…cow!"

The older ranch sister did not mind the insult, but her heart broke all the same. Her sister had never used her insecurity about her weight against her, and to do so now meant that Cremia's sibling, daughter, best friend, and entire life was hurt, all because of her.

"_You're_ the one who made my sister feel worthless?" Sheena asked, and Cremia wondered why the Gerudo called Romani her sister. Sheena gave an unimpressed snort. "Oh please, you're not a _real_ woman like Romani is. I bet you offered yourself to him like a bitch in heat."

Cremia had accepted that they had an audience, but she decided she did not want that audience's input. She had given herself to Link as an act of love and did not deserve to be put down for it. "I don't need to take that from one of your profession."

"Sheena, don't insult Cremia! And Cremia, don't insult Sheena! I'm tired of Link and I being the only ones who can talk to her without judging her!"

Her heart broke all over again at how Romani didn't call her "sister". She couldn't do anything right. She loved Link, but she also loved Romani, and because of her own worthlessness she couldn't express either of those loves without hurting them or herself.

"I'm sorry, little Romani," Sheena replied, only to surprisingly recoil as Romani glared at her for describing her as little. "I'll see you at dawn," she tried again before proving she was the smartest one in the group by leaving the building.

Romani turned to Cremia, her normally bright eyes dull as she spoke flatly. "Tell me this. Did you initiate it, or did he?"

"...I did." Cremia had initiated their first hug five years ago and their first kiss two days ago. She'd tried to initiate something again tonight, and would have succeeded if not for Link's restraint.

Romani looked like she had already known, but she still blinked away fresh tears, masking her hurt with anger. The normally talkative younger sister said nothing and ran upstairs, choking back a sob that escaped once she slammed a door behind her.

"What is going on?" the innkeeper's husband asked, but Cremia ignored the question and stared into his eyes to tell him that what she had to say next was perhaps the most important request she would ever make.

"Please, you must tell me when Romani leaves tomorrow. I'm afraid she'll try to sneak away without me."

"You're _both_ going to Ikana?" he asked, outraged.

"I can't stop Romani from going, and I have to make sure she stays safe."

He shook his head as though trying to make sense of the situation, and the inevitable question came. "Did you really sleep with Link?" At the looks he received from Cremia and his wife, Kafei thought better of his question. "Uh, right. Not important."

Anju stared at her with something that might have been pity or understanding, but Cremia ignored her. She even shoved the images of Link's self-loathing and Romani's despair away, because their love triangle was not as important as making sure everyone stayed alive.

* * *

><p><em>Blizzaga Saga<em>: I found a recipe for Chateau Romani! One part amaretto, one part honey bourbon, one part frangelico, and three parts milk make a cocktail that's both sweet and strong, just like how I imagine it is in the game. It's my new favorite drink, so if you ever have these ingredients on hand, you owe it to yourself to try it. :)


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